By Dally Review Online
Vietnamese authorities have arrested a Nigerian national in connection with an alleged cross-border drug trafficking operation involving the movement of narcotics from Laos into Vietnam.
The arrest followed the seizure of about 2kg of suspected crystal methamphetamine and two suspected heroin bricks concealed in a consignment.
The case was uncovered at the Lao Bao International Border Gate in Quang Tri Province after customs officers detected suspicious images in a package during a routine scan of vehicles entering Vietnam from Laos on August 5.
A subsequent physical inspection reportedly revealed the suspected drugs hidden inside electric water heaters and electronic components.
Following the discovery, the Customs Sub-Department of Region IX deployed its customs control team to investigate the case in collaboration with the customs branch at Lao Bao International Border Gate, Quang Tri Police’s drug-related crimes investigation division, the anti-smuggling investigation unit and the provincial Border Guard.
The joint investigation traced the consignment through several locations in an effort to identify its intended recipient.
On August 9, law enforcement officers arrested Izuchukwu Calistus Odionye, a Nigerian national born in 1983, in Ho Chi Minh City while he was reportedly taking delivery of the package.
According to authorities, Odionye acknowledged that the package contained drugs and told investigators that he had been contracted to receive it in Ho Chi Minh City and transport it to Hanoi.
Vietnamese authorities said the investigation is continuing, with efforts underway to identify and apprehend other individuals who may have been involved in the alleged trafficking operation.