The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) held a press conference on April 15 to provide information on the arrest of two Vietnamese airline crew members in the Republic of Korea (RoK).

According to local newspapers, a pilot and a flight attendant who arrived at the international Gimhae Airport in Pusan city on March 10 on a flight from Vietnam were arrested for smuggling 6 bars of gold weighing 1 kilogram each.

They tried to pass immigration and custom inspections by hiding the gold bars beneath their shoes.

According to a report by national flagship carrier Vietnam Airlines, crew members on flight VN426 from Hanoi to Pusan on March 10, namely Captain Nguyen Van Dung and flight attendant Nguyen Tuan Phong, illegally carried gold bars into Korean territory and were then arrested by airport customs officials.

The report also revealed that RoK authorities have not provided any official information to Vietnamese side.

Currently, the CAAV is coordinating with Vietnam Airlines to keep a close watch on the case.-VNA