Nigerian Arrested in Vietnam With 2kg Crystal Meth, Suspected Heroin

A Nigerian national has been arrested in Vietnam after authorities allegedly discovered 2kg of suspected crystal methamphetamine and two suspected bricks of heroin concealed in a consignment from Laos.

VietnamPlus reported on Monday that the drugs were intercepted at the Lao Bao International Border Gate in Quang Tri Province after customs officers detected suspicious images in a package during a routine scan.

The incident reportedly occurred at about 8:30pm on August 5, while customs officers were inspecting vehicles entering Vietnam from Laos through the border gate.

“Customs officers detected suspicious images in a consigned package using scanning equipment,” the report stated.

A subsequent physical inspection allegedly showed that the drugs had been hidden inside electric water heaters and electronic components, which were reportedly used to disguise the contents of the consignment.

The discovery prompted suspicions of transnational drug trafficking, leading the Customs Sub-Department of Region IX to deploy its customs control team to investigate the case.

The team worked with the Lao Bao International Border Gate customs branch, the drug-related crimes investigation police division under the Quang Tri Police, the anti-smuggling investigation sub-department and the provincial Border Guard.

Nigerian Suspect Arrested in Ho Chi Minh City

According to VietnamPlus, the agencies launched efforts to identify and locate the recipient of the package.

“After several days of tracing the consignment across multiple locations,” officers arrested Izuchukwu Calistus Odionye, a Nigerian national born in 1983, on August 9 in Ho Chi Minh City while he was allegedly receiving the package.

The suspect reportedly admitted to investigators that the package contained drugs.

Odionye allegedly told investigators that he had been hired to collect the consignment in Ho Chi Minh City and transport it to Hanoi.

Vietnamese authorities have since expanded their investigation to identify other individuals allegedly connected to the suspected drug trafficking operation.

“The investigation has been expanded to identify other people involved,” the report added.