Spanish model, Vietnamese singer, social media influencer arrested for drug charges in $1.1bn network
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 15:08 GMT+7
Police in Ho Chi Minh City have apprehended Spanish model and actress Andrea Aybar, Vietnamese singer Chi Dan, and philanthropic influencer Truc Phuong for on suspicion of organizing drug use, as part of a haul that officers said was worth US$1.1 billion.
An officer said on Thursday that the municipal Department of Public Security had arrested and charged singer Chi Dan, whose real name is Nguyen Trung Hieu, the 29-year-old model, also known by her Vietnamese name as Nguyen Thi An, and Nguyen Do Truc Phuong, a social media influencer, for their alleged drug use organization.
This was the result of an expanded probe into a cross-border network to traffic in narcotics from France into Vietnam through airports. The investigation was launched in March 2023.
Related to the trafficking network, police have busted some 500 drug trading and transporting rings in several localities nationwide, charged over 1,132 individuals, and seized 323.5 kilograms of illicit drugs, 12 guns, and three grenades.
The suspects carried out transactions worth VND28 trillion ($1.1 billion), police said, citing preliminary estimates.
Among these detainees are some celebrities such as singer Chi Dan, model Aybar, and influencer Truc Phuong, according to the police officer.
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| Spanish model and actress Andrea Aybar. Photo: Supplied |
An image of Chi Dan, known for pop ballad songs, holding a drug test kit has gone viral on social media since Saturday last week. He tested positive for drugs.
Having lived in Vietnam since childhood, Aybar is fluent in Spanish, English, and Vietnamese.
After working as a model in Vietnam from 2012 to 2014 and appearing in some films, Aybar has been mostly absent from the entertainment world in recent years
Truc Phuong, a 30-year-old resident of District 1, is well known on Facebook for her engagement in several charity activities.
She often gives a helping hand to disadvantaged people in Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces.
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| Nguyen Do Truc Phuong at a police station in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Supplied |
As prescribed by the amended 2015 Penal Code of Vietnam, those committing drug trafficking shall face a sentence of two to 20 years, life imprisonment or even the death penalty, depending on drug volumes.
Those caught transporting 100 grams or more of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, amphetamine, MDMA, or 300 grams of other solid narcotics face penalties ranging from 20 years in jail to life imprisonment or even capital punishment.
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