Police in South Korea’s Incheon City have arrested two flight attendants from a Vietnamese airline for allegedly smuggling almost US$225,000 worth of synthetic marijuana, South Korean media reported on Wednesday.

The two female attendants are suspected to have hidden liquid synthetic marijuana inside cosmetic boxes in their baggage in order to transport them from Vietnam to Incheon International Airport in April, MBC News said, citing the Incheon Police Department. 

The estimated street value of the drugs is about 300 million won ($224,800), according to police. 

The suspects, both aged about 20, are among a group of four Vietnamese flight attendants believed to have been involved in a smuggling ring.

Both suspects told local police that they were paid 68,000-150,000 won ($51-112) for carrying the cosmetic boxes and were unaware of what was inside them. 

“We didn't know they were drugs,” the suspects told MBC News. “We only delivered [the boxes] after receiving a request to bring cosmetics to Korea."

The two other attendants, who are also suspected of smuggling drugs, have not boarded a flight to South Korea since their colleagues’ arrests, according to investigators. 

Incheon police said they have expanded their investigation, including tracking down the two remaining attendants, to determine if more suspects were involved in the smuggling.

Immediately after the incident, a customs officer at Incheon International Airport told MBC News that they will strengthen baggage inspections for flight attendants from Vietnamese airlines.

Currently, the luggage check, including the X-ray scanning, for crew members is relatively lax compared to that for regular passengers entering South Korea.

Vietnamese flight attendants have long brought goods from Vietnam to South Korea in exchange for money, local police said.

Following the arrests, several Vietnamese airlines have released their initial responses to the case.   

Vietjet Air affirmed that the two detained flight attendants are not part of the carrier’s crew.

Bamboo Airlines said it is waiting for verification from authorities before issuing an official statement.

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines said it is also waiting for verification reports from its functional departments and will soon provide information about the case.

Representatives of these airlines stressed that any individuals who break the law or violate the firms’ work regulations must be strictly punished.

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