180,000 lobster larvae found in luggage on flight to Vietnam

Over 180,000 lobster larvae, packed into 112 nylon bags, were transported by air from Singapore to Vietnam without customs declaration, valued at over 7 billion VND.

On 30/8, Khanh Hoa Provincial Police initiated legal proceedings against Stevanus Donny Kurnain, 25, an Indonesian national, and Ngo Duy Linh, 41, residing in Bac Nha Trang ward. They face charges of illegally transporting goods across borders, under Clause 3, Article 189 of the Penal Code.

Previously, on 17/8, the Economic Police Department, in coordination with the Cam Ranh International Airport Police Station and Bac Cam Ranh Ward Police, inspected the checked luggage of Kurnain and Linh. This inspection occurred after their arrival on Scoot flight TR548 from Singapore.

Inside their luggage, authorities discovered 112 nylon bags containing over 180,000 live individuals, suspected to be lobster larvae. Both individuals were subsequently arrested.

Investigations revealed that Kurnain and Linh had communicated with an unidentified individual via WhatsApp. They agreed to transport the goods from Singapore to Vietnam for a fee of 3 million Indonesian rupiah, equivalent to approximately 4.5 million VND, per trip.

The individuals were confirmed to be lobster larvae, with a total value exceeding 7 billion VND. This valuation is based on an estimated import price of 40,000 VND per individual upon entering Vietnam.

These lobster larvae were not declared to customs upon entry. Furthermore, they lacked quarantine certificates, invoices, or any documentation proving their origin.

The case remains under expanded investigation.