Ha Danh Nam, who is currently wanted by Vietnamese authorities, reportedly hid the drugs in toothpaste tubes marked with the letter “T.”
Investigators say he hired Hoang Sy Thang, 39, a driver from the central Nghe An Province, to receive the overseas parcels and distribute them to multiple localities in Vietnam.
The actions of Nam, Thang, Thang’s nephew-in-law Bui Van Anh, and 224 other suspects are detailed in a recently completed indictment by the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Procuracy, the prosecutor’s office.
The charges include the illegal transport, trading, possession, and organized use of narcotics, and failure to report and concealment of the crimes.
The investigative agency has determined that Nam, who resides abroad and uses various aliases such as Tien Hoang, Huu Son and Teo hid narcotics inside toothpaste tubes and among laundry detergent, coffee, cocoa, chocolate, toothbrushes, mouthwash, and shampoo to evade detection.
He also allegedly used Vietnamese nationals living or studying in France as unwitting mules to hand-carry the drugs or send them via international couriers.
Thang and Anh would collect and deliver the drugs to buyers.
Toothpaste tubes with drugs hidden inside found in the luggage of four Vietnam Airlines flight attendants flying from Paris to HCMC, March 16, 2023. Photo by HCMC Customs |
According to the indictment, Nam’s drug activities began in January 2023 when he hired Thang to receive contraband arriving in Vietnam, and the latter in turn recruited Anh.
Thang collected it at a rendezvous point in Dong Nai Province that borders Ho Chi Minh City, took them to his rented room, separated the drug-filled toothpaste tubes marked with a “T”, packed the drugs in boxes and told Anh to deliver them to the Picity High Park apartment complex in HCMC’s Thanh Xuan Ward.
Nam made payment to a bank account belonging to Thang’s son.
For the January 2023 shipment, Thang received VND6 million (US$228) and offered Anh VND500,000, which he reportedly declined for unknown reasons.
Later the same month Nam sent three more shipments.
Thang received VND20 million for them and paid Anh VND2 million.
By early March Nam had smuggled in seven shipments.
On March 15 he transferred another VND20 million to Thang, and instructed him to use unregistered SIM cards and fake identities to receive a new consignment the following day.
This was the one brought by the four flight attendants.
On the morning of March 16 customs officers at Tan Son Nhat International Airport became suspicious about the crew’s bags when they arrived on Vietnam Airlines flight VN10 from France, searched them and found more than 11 kilograms of various drugs.
Later that day Nam contacted Thang to inform him the shipment had arrived, and asked him to pay money to one of the flight attendants.
Then he came to know about the bust, and instructed him to discard his SIM card.
The police arrested Thang and Anh on March 21 and 22.
Courier route and expanding network
Beyond hand-carried luggage, Nam also sent drugs by international courier services. He used Pham Duy Quang, a Vietnam-born resident in France who collects and delivers packages from the Vietnamese community for a fee.
These packages are sent to Noi Bai airport in Hanoi and on to Quang’s younger brother, Pham Quang Anh, who lives on Hang Vai Street. They are then delivered to the intended recipients.
On March 21, 2023, Quang sent multiple parcels to Vietnam. One was addressed to “Nguyen Huu Son” in Bien Hoa, an alias used by Thang. The package contained drugs hidden in “T”-marked toothpaste tubes.
The next day, unable to contact either the recipient or the sender, and at the same time becoming aware of the unfolding flight attendant scandal, he discarded the parcel. The police later traced it and recovered it for evidence.
Investigators determined that some of these shipments contained 4,000 to 5,000 ecstasy pills.
Meanwhile, Thang and Anh claimed ignorance about the drugs, but authorities concluded otherwise.
The men had used false identities and unregistered SIM cards, deliberately extracted only the marked toothpaste tubes, and deleted recipient information from all devices after every delivery.
Their payments, of up to VND50 million per trip, were suspiciously higher than typical delivery fees.
As for Nam, despite his denials, voice analysis and witnesses confirmed his role as the mastermind.
Investigators found no evidence to prosecute the four flight attendants. They had no prior contact or financial transactions with the other suspects and were deemed to be unwitting mules.
 |
Nguyen Do Truc Phuong is arrested in Ho Chi Minh City in November 2024 for her involvement in a major drug trafficking ring. Photo by police |
Nationwide network, massive cash flow
Expanding the probe, the Ho Chi Minh City police arrested multiple suppliers linked to the syndicate. Their wide net even ensnared public figures like singer Chi Dan, Spanish model Andrea Aybar, and Nguyen Do Truc Phuong, a social media personality known as the “charity fairy.”
Prosecutors described the case as “especially serious,” detailing a highly organized network that operated across multiple provinces using sophisticated methods, digital platforms and electronic payments.
Authorities estimate the total drug-related transactions amounted to nearly VND29 trillion ($1.2 billion).
Police have dismantled nearly 500 cells of the network in 34 provinces and cities, seizing almost 600 kilograms of drugs, 12 guns, 67 bullets, and three grenades.
In all, 477 cases related to the network involving more than 3,000 suspects have been filed nationwide, and charges have been laid against 227.
Comments are closed.