Tuesday, August 18, 2026 - A Nigerian national, Izuchukwu Calistus Odionye, has been arrested in connection with a major drug trafficking case from Laos into Vietnam.
2kg of suspected crystal methamphetamine and two suspected
heroin bricks concealed in a consignment were recovered, authorities disclosed
in a statement on Monday, August 17, 2026.
The customs control team under the Customs Sub-Department of
Region IX in the central province of Quang Tri said the case was uncovered at
the Lao Bao International Border Gate.
At 8:30 pm on August 5, while inspecting a road vehicles
entering Vietnam from Laos through the border gate, customs officers detected
suspicious images in a consigned package using scanning equipment.
A physical inspection found drugs concealed inside electric
water heaters and electronic components used as disguises.
Suspecting the case involved transnational drug trafficking,
the Customs Sub-Department of Region IX assigned its customs control team to
lead the investigation and coordinate 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 to identify and locate the recipient.
After several days of tracing the consignment across
multiple locations, law enforcement officers on August 9 arrested Izuchukwu
Calistus Odionye, a Nigerian national born in 1983. The suspect was arrested in
Ho Chi Minh City while he was allegedly receiving a package containing the
drugs.
According to the police, Odionye admitted that the package
contained drugs and said he had been hired to receive it in Ho Chi Minh City
and transport it to Hanoi.
The investigation has been expanded to identify other people
involved.
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