The General Department of Vietnam Customs said on February 27 that it had coordinated with relevant forces to inspect a female Thai national at the international arrivals terminal in Ho Chi Minh City at 3.30 pm on February 5.
Items tested positive for drugs (Photo: Customs).
During a physical inspection of her personal luggage on a flight from South America, officers discovered 4.5 kilogrammes of drugs carefully concealed inside. Rapid on-site testing confirmed the substance was cocaine.
Authorities said the case was notable not only for the quantity seized but also for the tactics used. The suspect reportedly intended to transit through Vietnam to a third country, remaining in the country for only about one hour in an attempt to avoid detection.
“This shows that transnational drug networks are carefully organising operations, exploiting international flight routes and short transit times to counter customs inspection and surveillance,” the department said in a statement.
According to cumulative figures for the first two months of the year, from December 15, 2025 to February 14, customs forces working with other agencies uncovered 35 cases involving 42 suspects.
A total of 165 kilogrammes of drugs were seized, including 14.18 kilogrammes of cannabis, 14.2 kilogrammes of heroin, 4.94 kilogrammes of cocaine, 5.96 kilogrammes of ketamine, 126 kilogrammes of synthetic drugs and more than 372 grammes of other narcotics.