Four flight attendants working for Vietnam Airlines have been released on bail after being caught allegedly transporting 11.4kg of ketamine and cocaine from Paris to Ho Chi Minh City.
Nguyen Thanh Thuy, Vo Tu Quynh, Tran Thi Thu Ngan, and Dang Phuong Van were detained upon arrival at Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on March 16th, after security personnel found drugs hidden inside 157 of the 327 toothpaste tubes discovered in their carry-on luggage.
The suspects claimed that they were unaware of the drugs and were only transporting the toothpaste tubes at the request of a person in France, who contacted them through another Vietnam Airlines employee. The four attendants reportedly received VND10 million (US$422) for bringing the tubes into Vietnam.
Investigators have, however, reported that initial inquiries suggest that the attendants did not know that the tubes contained drugs. As a result, authorities announced that there is currently not enough evidence to bring criminal charges against them.
Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City police are still investigating the case and may charge other suspects with drug trafficking.
The four flight attendants were released from detention after two other suspects were arrested.
