Nigerian arrested with meth, heroin in Vietnam

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

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

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The report said the case was uncovered at about 8:30 pm on August 5 when customs officers were inspecting road vehicles entering Vietnam from Laos through the border gate.

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

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A subsequent physical inspection reportedly revealed that the drugs had been concealed inside electric water heaters and electronic components “used as disguises.”

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The discovery raised suspicions of transnational drug trafficking, prompting the Customs Sub-Department of Region IX to assign its customs control team to lead the investigation.

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The team also coordinated with the Lao Bao International Border Gate’s 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.

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According to the report, the agencies worked together “to identify and locate the recipient” of the consignment.

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

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The suspect reportedly admitted that the package contained drugs.

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Odionye told investigators that he “had been hired to receive it in Ho Chi Minh City and transport it to Hanoi,” according to the report.

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The Vietnamese authorities have since expanded the investigation to identify other people allegedly involved in the case.

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

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