Authorities are cracking down on these operations, uncovering smuggling rings that traffic amounts ranging from several hundred kilograms to several tons of gold.

The intricacies of gold smuggling by air

The air smuggling of gold is a particularly complex issue, with many operations involving intricate and sophisticated methods. Alarmingly, some airline staff have been found to assist or directly participate in these illegal activities.

In early 2024, the Supreme People's Procuracy completed the indictment to prosecute 24 defendants involved in a gold smuggling ring that trafficked 6,150 kg of 9999 gold.

Among the defendants was Dang Nam Trung, who frequently traveled between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, delivering money and receiving gold as instructed by Dang Thi Thanh Hang. Trung leveraged his familiarity with airport security staff at Tan Son Nhat Airport to evade security checks.

Trung and his accomplices, including Vietnam Airlines flight attendants, successfully smuggled gold bars on flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. Security screenings confirmed that on September 28, 2022, Trung carried gold bars during flight VN204.

The massive operation at Lao Bao Border Gate

Mid-2023 saw the Ministry of Public Security dismantle a large-scale gold smuggling ring in Quang Tri province. This ring, led by Nguyen Thi Hoa, involved transporting gold from Laos into Vietnam.

Authorities determined that since 2022, Hoa and her accomplices had smuggled over 3 tons of gold, valued at approximately 5,000 billion VND, through the Lao Bao border gate. The smuggled gold was sold to local gold shops, generating significant illegal profits.

Based on collected evidence, the Investigation Police Agency prosecuted the criminal case for smuggling and tax evasion involving the Lao Bao border gate, Phu Quy Gold Investment Joint Stock Company, and other related entities.

The two-day gold smuggling spree

In September 2022, authorities uncovered a gold smuggling ring that transported nearly 200kg of gold and foreign currency across the Vietnam-Cambodia border in just two days. The Ministry of Public Security identified the key players in this elaborate network, which spanned multiple provinces and cities.

The ring's method involved purchasing foreign currency in Vietnam, transferring it to Cambodia, and buying gold to resell in Vietnam.

Gold smuggling in Southern Vietnam

An Giang province, with its extensive 100km border with Cambodia and numerous "open trails," has become a hotspot for smuggling crimes, particularly gold and foreign currency.

In early 2022, An Giang Provincial Police apprehended Nguyen Thanh Binh and Trang Kien Tuong in the act of buying and selling smuggled gold. The police seized 3 gold bars, nearly 170,000 USD, and 700 million VND. A subsequent search revealed about 15kg of gold jewelry, more than 2.1 million USD, other foreign currencies, 25 billion VND, and related documents and mobile phones.

Previously, in March 2017, the Tinh Bien International Border Gate Customs arrested Vuoch Hea, a Cambodian national, for smuggling 8kg of gold and 100 million Riel (Cambodian currency) into Vietnam by motorbike.

Half a year earlier, another significant smuggling case occurred in Tinh Bien district. Rim Ri Linh, a police major and Deputy Chief of the Phnom Den Border Gate Police Station in Cambodia, was caught transporting 18kg of 24K gold into Vietnam. Linh admitted to successfully smuggling two previous shipments, totaling about 27kg, through the Tinh Bien Border Gate.

In another incident in 2016, the Vinh Hoi Dong Border Gate Border Guard Station intercepted four Cambodian women transporting nearly 50 taels of gold and large amounts of foreign currency. The women claimed they were bringing money into Vietnam to buy gold and exchanging old gold jewelry for new gold to take back to Cambodia.

The 2022 Tay Ninh gold smuggling case

On January 20, 2022, Tay Ninh police inspected a car driven by Dao Manh Cuong and discovered 25kg of gold bars, 2kg of gold jewelry, 84 pieces of 9999 gold, and 1.2 billion VND in cash. Another car driven by Tran Chau Chanh Truc was found carrying 29kg of gold bars. The individuals could not present documents related to the origin of the gold.

Further investigation led to the arrest of Nguyen Hoang Hieu, Tran Quoc Tuan, and Tran Kim Ngoc. They confessed to collaborating with Cambodian contacts to buy large quantities of gold, transporting it to the border area, and exchanging money for gold to sell in Ho Chi Minh City.

The notorious 'Boss' Muoi Tuong

On August 13, 2023, the People's Court of An Giang province sentenced Nguyen Thi Kim Hanh, also known as Muoi Tuong, and 24 accomplices for smuggling 51kg of gold and illegally transporting currency across the border. Hanh received a 16-year prison sentence for smuggling and an additional 7 years for illegal currency transport, along with fines totaling 150 million VND.

The investigation revealed that Hanh orchestrated the entire operation, transporting USD to Cambodia and receiving nearly 51kg of gold. The operation was exposed when An Giang Provincial Police caught the ring red-handed on October 30, 2020.

Hanh Nguyen