VietNamNet Bridge - At least four companies have been involved in the transportation of 229kg of heroin from HCM City to Taiwan, investigators said.

Customs did not check the shipment containing 230kg of heroin

How 229kg of heroin could pass through Tan Son Nhat Airport?

Four security officers at Tan Son Nhat Airport suspended in 230kg heroin case

Airport security officer at fault for failing to spot smuggled heroin

The 229kg of heroin transported from HCM City seized at Taiwan's airport.

According to Deputy Director of HCM City Customs Department – Mr. Tran Ma Thong, the holder of the customs declaration for the 12 speakers containing 229 kg of heroin was the Long Van Freight Forwarder Co., Ltd, meaning that this company was the owner of the cargo. However, Long Van confirmed that it was not the official owner of the cargo because it was only entrusted by the Le Hoa Trading & Forwarding Company.

Meanwhile, the director of Le Hoa said he did not know about the origin of the cargo or the owner because it was entrusted by the Air Sea Worldwide for making electronic customs declaration for the cargo.

According to this man, on November 14, Le Hoa received an email from the Air Sea Worldwide, asking it to make customs procedures for a batch of speakers exported to Taiwan. In the mail, the client said that the batch included 12 speakers, weighing more than 400kg. The size of each speaker was described as 36.5cm long, 31cm wide and 101.5cm high. Le Hoa was also required to be named as the cargo sender and was provided with a square plastic base (120cm long, 120cm wide).

When Le Hoa agreed with the requirement and provided Air Sea Worldwide with information about the cost of customs procedures and other costs for the transport of the cargo to the warehouse of Tan Son Nhat Cargo Services Company, Air Sea WorldWide said that "the client will pack and transport the cargo to the warehouse itself.” Therefore, Le Hoa only performed the customs procedures. It did not involve in the remaining stages such as labeling the cargo as dangerous, receiving or supervising the cargo.

According to the director of Le Hoa, Air Sea WorldWide did not have the function of goods import and export so it asked Le Hoa to carry out the consignment and customs procedures for the batch. "But we see the consignment task complicated so we hired Long Van (which specializes in consignment) to be the holder in the declaration and we are responsible for electronic customs declaration,” he said.

He confirmed that he did not contact with the owner of the batch. The name Le Hoa as the sender on the Air Way Bill and Booking of the China Airline were also said that to be declared by Air Sea WorldWide, without informing Le Hoa.

WorldWide Sea Air also worked with Korchina Logistics Company - representatives of China Airlines to book a flight for the cargo.

About the relationship with Air Sea WorldWide, Le Hoa’s director said that he had been working with this firm for 5-6 years. Each year, Le Hoa performed customs procedures for about 10 batches of Air Sea WorldWide, mainly electrical equipment, electrical switches and clothing. "This is the first time they asked Le Hoa to perform customs procedure for speakers," he said.

The documents provided by the aviation agencies show that three companies involved in the export procedures for this batch: Le Hoa as the sender, Air Sea WorldWide as the service provider and Korchina Logistics Company - representative of China Airlines.

Currently Air Sea WorldWide declined to say anything about the case.

Air Sea WorldWide is a company specializing in maritime and aviation cargo transport, a subsidiary of the Hongkong-based Air Sea WorldWide. This is a multi-national company, which was founded in 1988 by Alex Chan. Air Sea WorldWide network covers most regions in the world. It has representative offices in big cities in 10 countries, including Taiwan. In Vietnam, Air Sea WorldWide has representative offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City since 2006.

On November 17, the Taiwanese authorities detected and confiscated 229kg of heroin worth $300 million which was hidden in 12 speakers transported from HCM City, on a flight of China Airlines (Taiwan).  

In Taiwan, seven people were arrested, including the major suspect named Wong, one more name Chu, who works for a logistics and warehousing company, and a suspect named Yeh, who was assigned to receive heroin at the airport.

In Vietnam, the Security Services Company at the Tan Son Nhat Airport has suspended four security officers from work to serve in the investigation of the transportation of 229kg of heroin from the airport to Taiwan.

Tran Cham