Four flight attendants of Vietnam’s national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines were apprehended on Thursday for bringing 11.4 kilograms of ecstasy and methamphetamine from France to Vietnam on a flight on which they were on duty.

At a press conference on the case held by the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department on Friday afternoon, Bui Le Hung, head of the customs branch at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, informed that the flight attendants are Vo Tu Quynh, Tran Thi Thu Ngan, Nguyen Thanh Thuy, and Dang Phuong Van.

They were crew members on the VN10 flight departing from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in France and landing at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City at 8:10 am on Thursday.

Upon the landing, customs officials at Tan Son Nhat International Airport detected abnormalities in the four flight attendants’ luggage.

They later coordinated with the Drug Crime Investigation Division under the Ho Chi Minh City Police and the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department under the General Department of Vietnam Customs to check the luggage and found 11.4 kilograms of ecstasy and meth in toothpaste tubes. 

They included 8.4 kilograms of grey tablets and 3.080 kilograms of white powder, which are drugs.

Hung said the flight attendants were cooperative when customs officials detected the drugs, adding that the case is unprecedented.

The flight attendants and the drugs have been handed over to the Drug Crime Investigation Division under the Ho Chi Minh City Police for further investigation.

Nguyen Huu Nghiep, deputy head of the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper this is a large volume of drugs.

If the drugs were distributed in Vietnam, the impact on society would be tremendous.

The case should awaken those abusing Vietnam’s policies to transport banned substances into the country.

A representative of Vietnam Airlines said on Friday that the carrier had suspended the four flight attendants to serve their investigation.

All individuals breaking the law and working rules must be handled in line with the law and the air carrier will not shield anyone, the representative added.

At present, Vietnam Airlines is cooperating with police officers in investigating the case to impose penalties on violators.

It is willing to promptly provide needed information.

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