In early 2024, the Supreme People's Procuracy prosecuted 24 defendants in a ring smuggling 6,150 kilograms of 9999 gold.

Of the defendants, Dang Nam Trung was found traveling regularly between Hanoi and HCM City to deliver gold and receive money to bring to Hanoi as per orders from Dang Thi Thanh Hang. 

When checking in at the airport, Trung went through the VIP security control gate at Tan Son Nhat Airport. He was well acquainted with many airport security staff.

When Trung could not carry gold to Hanoi, he asked Trinh Viet Chau or Vietnam Airlines’ stewards to do this with the assistance of security guards.

The indictment against the defendant points out that Trung, Trinh Viet Chau and stewards successfully went through the security checkpoint and flew from HCM City to Hanoi with the smuggled gold. 

However, when checking security cameras at Tan Son Nhat Airport, investigators only found Trung taking flight VN204 from HCM City to Hanoi with bullion gold.

3 tonnes via Lao Bao border gate 

In mid-2023, the investigation agency under the Ministry of Public Security discovered a major gold smuggling ring in Quang Tri.

The ring was led by Nguyen Thi Hoa in Quang Tri province, specializing in carrying gold from Laos to Vietnam across the border.

According to policemen, since 2022, Hoa and her accomplices had organized a ring to smuggle three tons of gold, worth VND5 trillion. The gold was brought across Lao Bao border gate and sold to gold shops in Vietnam.

The investigation agency devided to take legal proceedings against Phu Quy Gold Investment JSC and related units for smuggling and tax evasion.

200 kilograms of gold carried across border 

In September 2022, police discovered a ring illegally carrying gold and foreign currencies across the Vietnam-Cambodia border.

On September 27-28 alone, the ring brought 198 kilograms to Vietnam. Investigators identified the mastermind behind the transport and sales. This was a major ring which had carried out smuggling for a long time, related to many people in many cities and provinces. 

It set up a closed ring that collected foreign currencies in Vietnam and carried the currencies to Cambodia, where they bought gold and then brought it to Vietnam for sale.

Gold smuggling cases in Mekong Delta

As a province with 100 kilometers of border with Cambodia, two international border gates and many trails, An Giang is an ideal locality for gold smugglers.

In early 2022, An Giang police caught Nguyen Thanh Binh in Long Xuyen City and Trang Kien Tuong in Chau Doc City trading smuggled gold, and they seized three gold bars, $170,000 and VND700 million. 

The police also found 15 kilograms of jewelry gold, $2.1 million, other foreign currencies, VND25 billion, and documents and smartphones at the gold shop and other points.

Prior to that, also in An Giang, on March 11, 2017, Tinh Bien International Border Gate’s customs agency discovered a case of eight kilograms of smuggled gold (212 taels) and 100 million Riel (Cambodian currency). The carrier was Vuoch Hea, born in 1957, a Cambodian citizen, who entered Vietnamese territory by motorbike.

Six months before, a major smuggling case was found in Tinh Bien district. Rim Ri Linh, deputy head of police station of Phnom Den (Cambodia) border gate, rode a car from Cambodia to Tinh Bien border gate, and asked for permission to enter Vietnam to visit relatives.

Vietnam’s agencies discovered that Linh had carried 18 kilograms of 24K gold (478 taels).

Two cars carry 56 kilos from border area to HCM City

In January 2022, Tay Ninh police examined a car driven by Dao Manh Cuong, born 1964, from HCMC which went through Ben Cau district, and they discovered a bag with 25 kilograms of bullion gold, 2 kilograms of jewelries, 84 pieces of 9999 gold and VND1.2 billion in cash.

At the same time, when examining another car driven by Tran Chau Chanh Truc, police discovered 29 kilograms of bullion gold.

51 kilo smuggling case

In August 2023, the An Giang People’s Court sentenced defendants in the case of smuggling 51 kilograms of gold and illegally carrying out foreign currencies out of Vietnam.

Nguyen Thi Kim Hanh, or Muoi Tuong, born 1969, was sentenced to 16 years in jail for smuggling and seven years for illegally carrying foreign currencies across the border.

Hanh Nguyen