A South African man was arrested for allegedly bringing 1.7 kilograms of cocaine into Vietnam, a customs official said Monday.
Customs officers at Ho Chi Minh City airport arrested the 32-year-old after he flew in from Doha on Sunday, Le Tuan Binh told dpa.
“This was not a random check, it was a targeted arrest,†he said. The drugs were mixed with food and personal belongings in his luggage, airport officials said.
The man said he was hired for 3,500 dollars to transport the cocaine to Vietnam and on to the United States, where it would have a street value of 300,000 dollars, Binh said.
“We have handed over him to police for further investigation,†Binh said.
The man faces up to death or life in prison if convicted of trafficking, transporting or storing more than 100 grams of heroin or cocaine under Vietnamese law.
