Customs officers in Hanoi on Friday discovered a passenger arriving from Hong Kong at Noi Bai International Airport who was hiding three kilograms of 9999 gold bars in his private parts and shoe soles, valued at approximately VND6 billion (US$242,229).

According to the Hanoi Customs Department, around 9:00 am on Friday, during the customs clearance process for passengers arriving on flight UO550 from Hong Kong to Noi Bai, officers noticed a male passenger displaying suspicious signs of concealing metal on his body.

Using a metal detector, customs officers confirmed the unusual signs and invited the passenger to a private inspection room equipped with cameras, requesting his cooperation throughout the process. 

They coordinated with the Hanoi Department of Public Security and the Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department under the General Department of Vietnam Customs for further investigation.

In the inspection room, the passenger showed three pieces of yellow metal from his private part and the soles of his shoes, which were suspected to be gold bars weighing a total of three kilograms. 

The passenger later admitted that the metal was 9999 gold, valued at approximately VND6 billion.

The case was subsequently handed over to the Hanoi Department of Public Security for further investigation, along with the records and exhibits.

Earlier, at the end of last month, the Lao Cai International Border Guard Station in Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam, initiated legal proceedings against an individual for illegally transporting two kilograms of gold from China to Vietnam at the Lao Cai International Border Gate.

According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, the smuggling and illegal transportation of goods across borders has become increasingly complicated.

In the third quarter of this year, the number of cases prosecuted by customs agencies increased by 25 percent, while the number of cases referred for prosecution rose by 50 percent compared to the same period in 2023.

In the land border areas between Vietnam and China, as well as Vietnam and Cambodia, illegal goods and currency transportation has surged. 

The trade and transport of goods without proper invoices or proof of origin remain problematic, particularly for food products, cigarettes, and tobacco leaves in border regions.

Additionally, illegal buying and selling of diesel fuel without legal documentation and the transport of poultry products continue in the northeastern coastal area, while the central provinces and the Vietnam-Laos border witness ongoing illegal transactions involving gold, firecrackers, and white sugar.

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