1,000 smuggled diamonds worth billions seized in HCM City's airport

Investigators believe this is part of an illegal diamond smuggling operation through Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport, where the diamonds are sold to store owners in HCM City for large illicit profits.

Diamonds are hidden inside mint tins. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — Two passengers from India entering Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in HCM City have been found to be carrying over 1,000 natural and synthetic diamonds, with an estimated value of tens of billions of VNĐ.

According to information from the airport's customs authorities, on October 23, through X-ray screening of luggage, the Imported Luggage Procedures Team have detected suspicious images from the luggage of a man named P.S.H (Indian nationality), who had entered Việt Nam from India.

Authorities discovered several small documents printed with the letters "IGI" and 10 nylon bags containing 716 natural and synthetic diamonds hidden in a wallet, mixed with clothes and personal items.

During questioning, the man admitted that the small items in the 10 nylon bags were diamonds, transported from India to Việt Nam to deliver to customers, but he had not declared them to customs as required.

Indian national P.S.H at the HCM City office following the smuggling of diamonds. — VNA/VNS Photo

On October 25, the Imported Luggage Procedures Team once again detected suspicious signs in the luggage of tourist D.A.K. (Indian nationality), who had entered from Hong Kong.

They found 15 nylon bags containing 362 diamonds hidden at the bottom of two mint boxes, covered with real mints. These two candy boxes were mixed in with other personal items for camouflage.

Both cases have been transferred to the Economic Police Department of HCM City for further investigation, in accordance with regulations.