Dozens of HCM City police officers were mobilised to capture drug trafficking ringleader Ngoc Em, 50, in Nguyen Thuong Hien Street's Alley 183 in Binh Thanh District yesterday afternoon.

Police are standing along the Nguyen Thuong Hien Street to capture the drug trafficking ringleader. — Photo vnexpress.net

The ringleader was caught red-handed selling drugs to several suspected drug peddlers. He tried to evade capture but was surrounded by the police.

Em and the other suspects were escorted to the district's police station for further investigation.

Two months ago, local police also arrested a female drug trafficking ringleader on Nguyen Lam Street.

Gang of smugglers get jail terms

A gang of four wood smugglers were sentenced yesterday to various jail terms, ranging from eight years to 15 years on charges of smuggling, state media reported.

Trần Văn Thống (42), Lê Quốc Ton (29), Lê Văn Binh (34), and Trần Đắc Hùng (50), were convicted for smuggling by the People's Court in HCM City.

The court gave Thống 15 years in jail, Ton was sentenced to 8 years, while Binh received a 10-year term, and Hùng was incarcerated for 12 years.

In the court, the defendants confessed to their illegal activities.

According to the indictment, on April 30, 2014, police in HCM City in co-ordination with customs officials of Sai Gon Port detected three containers which contained more than 64.8cu.m of precious wood, worth over VND9 billion (US$409,000).

The wood is owned by Bảo Hoa Viên Ltd. Co. However, at the Customs, the company declared that their products were pottery items for export to Hong Kong, police said.

During investigations, the police also found another 8.68cu.m of wood in Thống's house.

While conducting a search of Hùng's house, the police seized nine letters of recommendation, ten white papers with available signatures of the company's director and the company's stamp.

The police detected and seized all the products as Thống and his friends were preparing to send the products out of the country.

Police seize goods smuggled via border gate

More than 100 tonnes of smuggled household appliances were seized early today by public security ministry officials in Gia Lam District's Ninh Hiep market.

The goods had been smuggled through Huu Nghi border gate in Lang Son Province.

Five tractors containing 150 tonnes of household appliances were in Ninh Hiep market, when they were seized by officials of the police department for smuggling prevention C74 under the public security ministry.

The Mua Xuan limited company (located in Ba Dinh District in Ha Noi) and Lang Son import and export company (located in Lang Son) had submitted two customs declarations at Huu Nghi border gate, stating that there were 26 items in all in the trucks.

However, the C74 police discovered about 50 items (weighing more than 100 tonnes) that had not been listed in the papers.

It is being speculated as to how those items could pass through Huu Nghi border gate without being discovered by the customs force.

The police also found one tonne of fake Chinese condoms in the smuggled cargo that were to be sold to motels in Viet Nam.

The case is under further investigation. 

VNS