HCM CITY (VNS) – HCM City’s Criminal Investigation Police arrested eight people suspected to be involved in inter-provincial drug smuggling ring, a source has said.    

Police have also seized 10kg of methamphetamine, some heroin, two luxury cars, VNĐ2.5 billion (US$119,000) and $52,000 in cash, three guns and 15 bullets.

The arrests were the result of a joint investigation from the Ministry of Public Security, Lâm Đồng Province and city police, a HCM City senior police officer said on Monday.

Among the arrested were the suspected ringleaders of the group, Nguyễn Duy Hùng, 46, who lived Thái Nguyên northern Province, and Nguyễn Tiến Khanh, 35, from Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu southern Province.

Hùng, was imprisoned for seven years for drug possession and smuggling in 2003. In 2010, he became owner of an individual garage in Thái Nguyên Province that aimed to hide his drug smuggling.

Police began the investigation in early 2016 when they arrested two drug transporters in HCM City, seizing two kg of methamphetamine hidden in a lorry transporting fruit.

On May, 18, Nguyễn Duy Hùng was arrested in HCM City’s Bình Thạnh District with 6kg of methamphetamine, a K59 pistol, 15 bullets, $50,000 and VNĐ2.1billion in cash and a luxury car.

After questioning, Hùng said he bought methamphetamine for VNĐ200 million per kg from a Chinese man at Lạng Sơn northern province’s Tân Thanh border gate. He transported the drugs in his car to HCM City and sold them to Nguyễn Tiến Khanh for VNĐ350 million per kg.

One day later, police captured Khanh and two accomplices in the Central Highlands province of Lâm Đồng, seizing 1kg of methamphetamine, one gun and a car.

After further investigations, police arrested three more people suspected of involvement in the ring in HCM City, seizing heroin, methamphetamine and cash.

Police are preparing documents to prosecute the suspects for illegal sale of narcotics and illegal firearms possession.— VNS