The incident occurred at 10:20 PM on June 8, during exit procedures for passengers boarding flight VN310 from Noi Bai (Hanoi) to Narita (Tokyo, Japan).

While screening passengers, customs officers grew suspicious of a traveller named Nguyen Huu Lam. Upon scanning and manually inspecting his carry-on luggage, they discovered a large envelope hidden inside a suitcase containing what appeared to be a substantial amount of foreign currency.

Initial verification confirmed that the envelope held 690 Japanese yen bills with a denomination of JPY10,000 each, which were not declared to customs and not supported by any legal documentation, as required by Vietnamese law.

The Hanoi City Police Investigation Agency has since initiated criminal proceedings and formally charged the passenger with illegally transporting goods and currency across borders, in accordance with the Penal Code.

This case follows a directive from the Department of Vietnam Customs to strengthen control measures and crack down on smuggling and illegal cross-border transport of goods and foreign currencies.

In line with this directive, customs forces at key border gates have intensified their operations through risk assessment, targeted passenger profiling, and increased baggage screening, and close inspection of individuals displaying suspicious behaviour.

Lao man prosecuted for smuggling large drug haul at Vietnam border

VOV.VN - Border guards in Vietnam’s central Quang Tri province have launched criminal proceedings against a Lao national for illegal possession of a large quantity of drugs in the border town of Lao Bao, near Vietnam – Laos border.