The Investigation Police Agency of Ho Chi Minh City decided to release the four flight attendants of Vietnam Airlines because there was not enough evidence to prosecute them on criminal charges, reported the Ministry of Public Security.

The four crew members who were on board a flight from Paris to Ho Chi Minh City on March 16 were detained by customs officers at Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Through scanning, the customs officers found 11.4 kilograms of ecstasy and meth hidden in toothpaste tubes in the four attendants’ hand luggage.  

Vietnam Airlines on March 17 suspended the four flight attendants from work and said it was closely coordinating with the authorities to provide accurate information about the case.

The detainees then confessed that while they were in France, a strange Vietnamese national had asked them to bring home 327 toothpaste tubes and 17 mouthwash bottles for their relatives for VND10 million.

They opened some tubes for checks and agreed to close the deal, without knowing that 157 out of a total of 327 tubes had contained the drugs.

After initial investigations, the police found there was not enough evidence to prosecute the attendants, and decided to release them, pending further investigations.

The Investigation Police Agency of Ho Chi Minh City has prosecuted the drugs smuggling case to clarify the nature and strictly handle those involved according to regulations.

Source: VOV