HCMC - Four Vietnam Airlines flight attendants have been taken into custody for allegedly smuggling 11.3 kilograms of drugs from France to Vietnam, according to the HCMC Department of Customs in a press conference yesterday, March 17.

The suspects were detained upon the arrival of flight VN10 from Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport to HCMC's Tan Son Nhat International Airport on March 16. The authorities found drugs hidden in toothpaste tubes in their carry-on bags. Over eight kilograms of ecstasy and three kilograms of ketamine were discovered, according to the officials. Nguyen Huu Nghiep, deputy director of the city customs department, said this was the first time they had uncovered a flight attendant-related drug smuggling case. The flight attendants were shocked. They said a person in France, whose identity remains unknown, asked them to carry the package to Vietnam in return for VND10 million. They found no concerns after a brief check. The package then passed through French customs agencies, they added. Vietnam Airlines has suspended the attendants. The national carrier is working closely with relevant authorities on the inquiry.