Overseas Vietnamese woman accused of illegally transporting currency to Việt Nam

British 50 pound notes. AFP/VNA illustration image

HÀ NỘI — An overseas Vietnamese woman with British citizenship is being prosecuted for illegally transporting currency across the border.

Hà Nội’s People's Procuracy has began criminal proceeding against Nguyễn Thanh Huyền, born in 1960, a British national residing in London, United Kingdom.

She entered Việt Nam carrying £215,000 (over VNĐ6.3 billion) in her luggage without declaring it to customs at the border.

According to the indictment, around 6am on November 30, 2023, the Customs Sub-Department at Hà Nội’s Nội Bài International Airport, in coordination with Hà Nội Police Department, monitored the luggage and goods of passengers entering and exiting via air.

Huyền, after retrieving her luggage from the conveyor belt, went through Gate 2, which was designated for goods not requiring customs declaration, without declaring her currency at the customs checkpoint.

During the luggage screening, the police team detected images of numerous paper stacks suspected to be foreign currency and requested Huyền to enter the customs inspection room for a thorough check.

The inspection revealed a total of £215,000 in Huyền's luggage, including 9,500 £20 notes and 2,500 £10 notes, totalling £215,000.

According to the Article 2 of the State Bank of Việt Nam’s Circular No 15/2011/TT-NHNN issued on August 12, 2011 regulating the amount of foreign currency and Vietnamese currency in cash that must be declared at the border when exiting or entering the country, Huyền carried £215,000 without declaring it, exceeding the allowed limit by £210,899, equivalent to over VNĐ6.3 billion.

The Customs Sub-Department drew up a violation report against Huyền and handed the case over to the Hà Nội Police Department for further investigation.

During the investigation, Huyền stated that she had emigrated to the UK in 1979 and acquired British citizenship in 1982. Since then, she has frequently returned to Việt Nam to visit her family.

Huyền claimed the money was from her business earnings. She intended to use the money to buy a house and purchase goods to export to her supermarket in London.

Huyền did not declare the amount of money when departing from the UK, nor did she declare it to customs upon entering Việt Nam. — VNS