Drugs seized from the luggage of four flight attendants on flight VN10 at the time of discovery. — Photo plo.vn

HCM CITY — Prosecutors in Hồ Chí Minh City have charged 227 people in connection with the VN10 drug case, uncovered after narcotics were found hidden in the luggage of four Vietnam Airlines flight attendants at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in March 2023.

The indictment names Hoàng Sỹ Thắng as a key figure, alongside numerous accomplices accused of offences including drug trafficking, transportation, possession and organisation of drug use. Additional charges include failing to report crimes, harbouring offenders, possession of property, and use of forged documents.

Authorities said four suspects are still on the run.

The case has now been transferred to the HCM City People’s Court for trial.

The investigation was triggered on March 16, 2023, when customs officials identified suspicious toothpaste tubes in the checked baggage of four flight attendants, including Trần Thị Thu Ngân, Đặng Phương Vân, Võ Tú Quỳnh and Nguyễn Thanh Thủy, who had arrived on flight VN10 from France.

An inspection uncovered 327 tubes of toothpaste, 157 of which together contained more than 10 kilogrammes of drugs, including ketamine and MDMA, concealed inside their packaging.

Following the discovery, police launched a major probe under the codename VN10, tracing what they described as a transnational trafficking network. Investigators later identified Hà Danh Nậm, also known as Hữu Sơn, as a central suspect.

According to authorities, Nậm had previously overseen six successful drug shipments using the same concealment tactics, hiding synthetic drugs in everyday consumer goods such as toothpaste and boxes of health supplement.

These shipments were transported from France to Việt Nam via international courier channels, often involving intermediaries among the Vietnamese diaspora, and then entered the country through Nội Bài International Airport.

Investigators said all shipments were delivered to Hoàng Sỹ Thắng in Đồng Nai Province, who allegedly coordinated their distribution. The drugs were then broken down and sent to various buyers in HCM City and Bình Dương Province.

Authorities said that the four flight attendants were unaware of the drugs concealed in the goods they were carrying. This was their first joint assignment on the Việt Nam–France route, and they had agreed to transport about 60 kilogrammes of personal items for a fee of 6.5 euros per kilogramme.

No evidence was found to suggest any prior relationship, communication or financial dealings between the flight attendants and the accused traffickers. As a result, they were cleared of wrongdoing.

The four women were released on March 22, 2023, shortly after the case was uncovered. — VNS