Customs authorities in Haiphong said on Wednesday the case was detected at the international arrivals terminal of Cat Bi International Airport following coordination with relevant forces.
Seized evidence (Photo: TTXVN).
Officials identified a group of passengers showing suspicious behaviour upon entry into Vietnam from South Korea. Subsequent inspections uncovered 20 individuals, including 18 Vietnamese nationals and two South Koreans.
The group, comprising men and women born between 1964 and 2005, were found wearing and concealing jewellery items such as necklaces, chains and rings, suspected to be gold, on their bodies and hidden in their shoes. The total weight was nearly 7 kilogrammes.
Haiphong customs said it would step up enforcement measures through the end of the year to combat smuggling, trade fraud and illegal cross-border transport of goods.
Authorities will coordinate with police and border guards to increase patrols in key areas, while tightening oversight of import, export and transit activities, including temporary import for re-export.
Controls on passengers and vehicles entering and leaving the country will also be strengthened, alongside enhanced intelligence gathering to detect and prevent illegal activities more effectively.
