A chief flight attendant, employed by the national-flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, has been suspended for attempting to smuggle 38 cartons of cigarettes.
The incident occurred on July 25, upon the arrival of a Vietnam Airlines flight from Incheon, South Korea to Hanoi. Two others involved in the case were also fined.
Bags of smuggled cigarettes
Noi Bai Airport security saw a mechanic unloading two suspicious bags from flight VN415 flight and putting them into a car. The guards stopped the mechanic, inspected the bags and found 38 cartons of cigarettes. None of the cigarettes had the necessary customs documents and were seized. Security then reported the incident to the airport aviation security centre.
38 cartons of cigarettes seized
The mechanic, named Nguyen Van Luy, admitted that he and the chief stewardess on the flight, Nguyen Thi Hoai Thu, had bought the cigarettes. Luy confessed and promised not to repeat the offence in the future. The driver of the car, however, claimed she was unaware of the contents of the bags.
Nguyen Thi Hoai Thu admitted that she had a close relationship with the mechanic and helped him buy the contraband.
Destroying contraband
The case was reported to the Northern Airports Authority (NAA), who decided to suspend Thu. In addition to the suspension, both the flight attendant and the mechanic were fined VND20 million. Vy, the driver of the car, was fined VND15 million.
Vietnam Airlines’ Spokesperson Le Truong Giang said that the airline’s disciplinary board is still considering the violation and has not come to a final decision.
The NAA destroyed the seized cigarettes in the presence of relevant authorities.