Man arrested for smuggling 1kg of gold across An Giang border

AN GIANG, VIETNAM – Authorities in An Giang province have arrested and charged 22-year-old Nguyen Van Khanh with illegally transporting 1kg of 24k gold across the border. The arrest highlights ongoing smuggling challenges in the region.

Khanh was apprehended on May 7 near the Hau River bank in Khanh Binh commune. He was allegedly hired through the Zalo messaging app by an unidentified individual to transport the gold from Cambodia into Vietnam. For this task, he was to receive a payment of 700,000 Vietnamese dong.

Provincial police are continuing their investigation into the case. They noted that smuggling and illegal goods transportation across the An Giang border have become increasingly complex recently. Criminals are reportedly using social media to communicate and coordinate, exploiting the border's terrain for sophisticated smuggling operations.

Local authorities are actively monitoring the situation and implementing measures to detect and strictly handle cases of smuggling and illegal cross-border trade. The price difference between gold in Vietnam and neighboring countries is a key driver for these illicit activities.