Vietnam Customs Seize 1,000 Smuggled Diamonds
November 04, 24
(IDEX Online) - Two Indian nationals have been arrested for trying to smuggle over 1,000 diamonds into Vietnam in two separate incidents..
The first was detained by customs officers at Tan Son Nhat International, the country's biggest airport, on 23 October.
The suspect had flown in from India, carrying 716 diamonds concealed in wallets and among his clothing and personal items.
The diamonds were destined to be sold to Vietnamese buyers in Ho Chi Minh City.
Three days later customs officers at the same airport detained a second passenger, travelling from Hong Kong, who was found to have 362 diamonds, in 15 plastic bags, concealed in the bottom of two candy boxes.
Police said in both cases the diamonds were a mixture of natural and lab growns.
They estimated the combined value of the diamonds at "tens of billions of VND (Vietnamese dong)". A billion dong is $40,000.
Pictures courtesy Ho Chi Minh City Police Department.