This is only one among many cases of narcotics being transported through postal services to and from Vietnam. These cases show that drug smuggling criminals are developing their narcotic transport methods, which are becoming harder to detect.
Kat or Catha Edulis, cannabis and other types of illegal drugs are packed to look like dry tea or variety packs and sent through the postal service as gifts. This is a new and sophisticated method of transporting narcotics. A recent series of cases detected by the Hanoi Customs Department show that the international postal service is increasingly being used to transport narcotics.
"One thing about postal transport is that there is a great diversity of goods and types of goods. Narcotics dealers take advantage of this to import drugs from abroad, which makes it harder for us to detect them", said Tran Thi Yen Thu - Deputy Director of Hanoi Postal Customs Sub-Department, Hanoi Customs Department.
By using the postal service, drugs dealers do not have to directly bring narcotics to consumers. They can even hide their true identity by using fake names and addresses for the sender and recipient on the package.
