Taiwanese man arrested in Vietnam for smuggling nearly 2kg of gold

Hanoi, June 26 (CNA) A Taiwanese passenger was arrested by Vietnamese authorities on Wednesday for attempting to smuggle nearly 2 kilograms of gold through Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, according to Vietnamese media.

Vietnamnet reported that the gold, worth more than US$215,000 (NT$6.37 million/5.5 billion Vietnamese dong), was hidden inside four camera lenses.

Customs officers discovered the concealed gold during luggage screening of a passenger who had flown from Taiwan to Hanoi on Vietnam Airlines flight VN579. Twelve gold bars were found inside the lenses.

The bars had been carefully shaped to evade both x-ray scanners and manual inspections, officials said.

Authorities called it one of the most sophisticated gold smuggling attempts uncovered this year.

The suspect and the confiscated items have been handed over to the Hanoi Police Department for further investigation and legal proceedings.