The four suspects and the metal believed to be gold. — Photo baochinhphu.vn

HÀ NỘI — Customs officers at Nội Bài International Airport have discovered more than 12kg of metal suspected to be gold hidden on the bodies of four passengers arriving from Taiwan (China), authorities said.

The passengers were stopped on Tuesday in the arrivals area of Terminal 2, the airport’s international terminal, after screening procedures flagged suspicious signs in their luggage.

They had also failed to make customs declarations.

X-ray images of their baggage raised further concerns, prompting officers to conduct a closer inspection.

Customs authorities then coordinated with the Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department and Hà Nội's police to search the passengers and examine their belongings.

During the inspection, officers found multiple pieces of yellow-coloured metal concealed directly on the passengers’ bodies, in addition to ordinary personal items.

One passenger, identified as P.T.H, was carrying 10 pieces of metal weighing about 5kg, hidden in clothing, including the bra area and inside underwear.

Another passenger, V.T.M, had five pieces weighing around 1.1kg, while N.V.L was found with nine pieces weighing roughly 3.5kg.

A fourth passenger, C.S.M.H, was discovered with seven pieces weighing about 2.7kg.

In total, authorities seized about 12.3kg of yellow-coloured metal, which officials suspect may be gold bars.

Investigators said the items were largely hidden inside underwear or strapped to the body, a method sometimes used in attempts to evade airport security checks.

Authorities said the case showed signs of a criminal offence, and the passengers, along with the seized items and related documents, have been transferred to Hà Nội's police for further examination.

The metal has been sent for testing to confirm whether it is gold and to determine its value, customs officials said.

Further information will be released once the official assessment is completed. — VNS