14-11-2024 (HANOI) Ho Chi Minh City Police have announced the dismantling of an additional 146 drug trafficking rings and the prosecution of 630 new suspects. These arrests are linked to a broader investigation that began with the discovery of an air trafficking route from France to Vietnam in March 2023.
The expanded operation, codenamed Project VN10, has yielded remarkable results following directives from the Ministry of Public Security and the Prime Minister’s commendation letter issued on 26 April. To date, authorities have successfully disrupted nearly 500 drug-related criminal networks, leading to the prosecution of 1,132 individuals.
In what officials describe as one of Vietnam’s largest drug enforcement operations, police have seized 323.5 kilogrammes of various narcotics, alongside 12 firearms, three grenades, and substantial evidence. The criminal enterprise is believed to have conducted drug transactions worth over 28 trillion Vietnamese dong (approximately $1.1 billion).
The investigation has particularly targeted high-profile individuals, including celebrities and social media influencers. Notable arrests include popular singer Nguyen Trung Hieu, known professionally as Chi Dan, model Nguyen Thi An (An Tay), and Nguyen Do Truc Phuong.
The operation’s origins can be traced to 16 March 2023, when customs officials at Tan Son Nhat International Airport uncovered more than 11 kilogrammes of drugs ingeniously concealed within 157 toothpaste tubes being transported from France. The discovery led to the initial questioning of four flight attendants, who were later released on 22 March after investigators determined they were unwitting carriers.
According to police reports, the flight attendants had been approached in France by a Vietnamese individual who requested them to transport what appeared to be legitimate consumer goods, including 327 toothpaste tubes and 17 bottles of mouthwash. Investigations revealed that 157 of these tubes had been secretly modified to contain illegal substances.
