The Hanoi People’s Procuracy has completed the indictment prosecuting two Japanese men for smuggling seven golden statues through the Noi Bai International Airport.
A statue similar to the gold statues that were smuggled by Japanese men. (Source: mavangvn.vn)
Hanoi (VNA) – The Hanoi People’s Procuracyhas completed the indictment prosecuting two Japanese men for smuggling sevengolden statues through the Noi Bai International Airport.
Iwamura Masakazu, 46, and Kitada Takayoshi, 34, were prosecutedfor smuggling under clause 153, article 4, point a of the Criminal Code.
According to the indictment, Iwamura Masakazu was formerdirector of the Japanese-based RG Innovation Company, a broker in bringing Vietnameselabourers to Japan.
Knowing that the handicraft gold products in Japan arepriced very high, he decided to buy gold products in Vietnam to bring them backfor sale in Japan.
Through Vietnamese friends in Japan, who said thatthey have relatives trading gold in Vietnam and handicraft gold products can bebought at cheap prices, Iwamura Masakazu and Kitada Takayoshi devised a plan tobuy handicraft gold products in Vietnam and sell them in Japan.
In early July 2016, Iwamura Masakazu and KitadaTakayoshi came to the Sinh Dien gold and jewelry shop on Ngo Gia Tu street,Tien An ward, Bac Ninh city (northern Bac Ninh province) to see models andprices.
After negotiations on volume and price, IwamuraMasakazu asked the shop owner to mould seven gold statues, including four DiLac (Maitreya) Buddha statues and three Mr. Tam Da statues.
Iwamura Masakazu gave Kitada Takayoshi 32.3 million JPY(287,000 USD) to buy the seven statues and promised to pay him 80,000 JPY (711USD) if they are brought to Japan successfully.
In order to avoid the inspection of Vietnam’s customs,Iwamura Masakazu told Kitada Takayoshi to coat the gold statues with a silverlayer.
According to the plan, on August 2, 2016, KitadaTakayoshi arrived in the Sinh Dien gold & jewelry shop to receive the goldstatues, weighing 6.974 kilogrammes in total, at the price of 31.555 millionJPY.
On August 3, 2016, the Noi Bai International Airport’scustoms inspected and discovered the statues in Kitada Takayoshi’s hand luggagewithout declarations.
Examinations showed all the seven statues are made ofgold with purity of 99.99 percent, weighing 6.794 kilogrammes and worth 6.749billion VND.-VNꦺA
The Ministry of Industry and Trade has intensified the fight against smuggling, trade fraud and fake goods as cross-border smuggling has increased in border areas ahead of the year-end holiday season.
Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh has urged police and market watch forces in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang to intensify their fight against smuggling and trade fraud.
PM Pham Minh Chinh highlighted how Vietnam's revolutionary press has continuously evolved and strengthened over the past century, affirming its role as a sharp and vital political, cultural, and ideological weapon serving the Fatherland and the people in the glorious revolutionary cause of the Party.
Vietnamese Consul General in Fukuoka Vu Chi Mai highlighted the growing demand for Vietnamese workers in Kyushu, especially in Fukuoka, Oita, and Saga prefectures. Currently, the region employs about 35,000 Vietnamese manual workers and over 5,000 IT engineers.
In Vietnam’s case, she said, President Ho Chi Minh demonstrated his strategic vision by founding the revolutionary press a century ago. The late leader understood the press's role not only as a means to reflect the country’s realities but also as a powerful tool to strengthen national unity and inspire the resistance wars and national construction process.
In recent interviews granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s reporters in Mexico, prominent figures reflected on the press’s legacy and its global influence.
VietnamPlus e-newspaper of the VNA clinched an A prize in the “Outstanding Press Product” category for its immersive 3D multimedia project, “Epic of Reunification,” a groundbreaking blend of storytelling and technology. The VNA won another A prize for its eye-catching exhibition booth.
Today, the press for foreign service has evolved into a distinct, irreplaceable force, bridging Vietnam with the world and portraying a nation that is stable, peace-loving, and fully integrated into the international community.
At a review conference held on June 21, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Van Sinh praised the province’s scientific, coordinated, and flexible approach. He noted that the early completion reflects the strong commitment of local authorities, the business community, philanthropists, and residents in improving housing conditions for disadvantaged groups.
The VNA delegation, led by General Director Vu Viet Trang, actively participated in the event, engaging in both professional and diplomatic activities.
In the context where AI dominates and produces vast volumes of content, the only sustainable path forward for journalism is to focus on high-quality content and core values. Journalism must redefine its mission - not to report the fastest, but to provide the most profound and trustworthy value.
Granma and the VNA have great potential for cooperation, especially in sharing content regularly, so that VNA products are published on Granma platforms and vice versa, thereby helping Cuban and Vietnamese people access true information and gain a deep understanding of each other's country and people.
During his stay in China’s Guangzhou city from 1924 to 1927 to prepare for the establishment of a Communist Party to lead Vietnam’s revolution, President Ho Chi Minh founded “Thanh nien” newspaper and released its first issue on June 21, 1925.
Vietnam and Cambodia are hoped to strengthen their robust collaboration across various sectors, particularly in resolving remaining border issues to transform the border area into a zone of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development.
The strategic product, managed and operated by the Vietnam News Agency Digital Media Centre (VNA Media), is an official channel for popularising the Party and State’s information and documents as well as delivering mainstream and trustworthy news to both domestic and international audiences through various kinds of multimedia formats.
Since President Ho Chi Minh founded Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has become the voice of the people. During the resistance war against the colonialists, journalists took great personal risks to inspire patriotism and the will of rising up against foreign invaders.
The total investment exceeded 319 billion VND (12.2 million USD), including over 261 billion VND from the state budget and 57.5 billion VND mobilised from businesses, organisations, and individuals.
The Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang is intensifying efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing as part of the country’s goal of having the European Commission’s “yellow card” warning lifted.
Throughout its 80-year history, the VNA has remained at the forefront of information dissemination. It has consistently delivered timely, accurate, and objective reports on both domestic and international events, serving the Party’s leadership, the State’s management, and the public’s demand for official news.
With strong support from local authorities, businesses, organisations, and residents, the province has successfully built or repaired 10,707 homes for disadvantaged households, including war veterans, families of martyrs, ethnic minority people, and low-income residents.
Throughout its resistance against colonialists and imperialists, Vietnam developed a revolutionary press that has served as a benchmark for just and legitimate causes worldwide.
A statue similar to the gold statues that were smuggled by Japanese men. (Source: mavangvn.vn)
