Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue has hailed the local police for solving a case in which the defendants attempted to smuggle roughly VND30 trillion (US$1.3 billion) out of Vietnam.

Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue. Photo: Thanh Hai/Kinhtedothi

The municipal party chief said it’s a remarkable feat at a time when Hanoi and the country in general are combating Covid-19 and making efforts to ensure security for the 13th National Party Congress.

This is a complicated case lasting for a long time in which the defendants, committed this crime cover up other wrongdoings, Mr. Hue said in a compliment letter sent to Hanoi police.

Regarding to this, local police on September 25 started the prosecution of the case and 10 people, including Pham Anh Tuan, Nguyen Thi Nga, Nguyen Thi Nguyet, Nguyen Van Thang, Nguyen Van Thuc and Nguyen Thi Ha for their involvement in illegal cross-border transport of money and commodities under the Penal Code.

Under initial investigations, the defendants set up a number of companies operating in temporary import and re-export for cross-border shipping of goods and money.

Kien Thuc online newspaper cited Lawyer Dang Van Cuong from Hanoi Bar Association as saying that the case is probably the biggest of its kind uncovered by police so far.

Under Article 189 in the 2015 Penal Code, maximum punishment for people who are charged with illegal cross-border transport of money and commodities will face 10 years behind bars and the money will be expropriated.

In accordance with Circular 15/2011/TT-NHNN by the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), any individual who carries more than VND15 million (US$652) or US$5,000 on departure are deemed to make customs declaration.