Synthetic drugs was hidden in a wooden Buddhist statue. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI —  The General Department of Vietnam Customs said on September 14 that it had coordinated with forces to arrest 11 suspects and seize 237kg of narcotics.

On September 8, 44-year-old Nguyễn Thị Hồng Hà, from Hương Sơn district in north-central Hà Tĩnh Province, was arrested at the Cầu Tre international border gate with 98kg of synthetic drugs hidden in five wooden Buddhist statues.

The statues were imported from Laos and equipped with tracking devices.

Expanding the investigation, forces detained six others in HCM City two days later, seizing 19 bricks of heroin (each weighing some 350 grams) and 22.5kg of synthetic drugs.

On the same day, border guards in Hà Tĩnh cooperated with Lao police to arrest four other people and seized 110kg of methamphetamine hidden in six wooden Buddhist statues.

Hà Tĩnh, which borders Laos, has been a major drug trafficking hotspot for years. — VNS