Ho Chi Minh City police have arrested Spanish model and actress Andrea Aybar, Vietnamese singer Chi Dan, and influencer Truc Phuong in connection with an alleged drug trafficking operation worth an estimated $1.1 billion. The suspects, including the 29-year-old model Aybar (known in Vietnam as Nguyen Thi An), singer Chi Dan (Nguyen Trung Hieu), and social media personality Truc Phuong, are accused of organizing and facilitating drug use as part of a broader cross-border narcotics network.
The arrests follow a months-long investigation into a drug trafficking ring operating between France and Vietnam, which was launched in March 2023. Authorities claim to have dismantled over 500 drug-related networks across the country, charging over 1,100 individuals and seizing significant amounts of narcotics, including 323.5 kilograms of illicit drugs, 12 firearms, and three grenades.
The three suspects were allegedly involved in transactions valued at approximately VND28 trillion (around $1.1 billion). Chi Dan, a well-known pop ballad singer, made headlines after a viral image surfaced showing him holding a drug test kit, which he tested positive for. Aybar, who has lived in Vietnam since childhood, was a model from 2012 to 2014 and has appeared in a few films, though she has stayed out of the spotlight in recent years. Meanwhile, Truc Phuong, a 30-year-old influencer, has been active on Facebook with her charity work supporting disadvantaged communities in Ho Chi Minh City.
Under Vietnam’s amended 2015 Penal Code, those convicted of drug trafficking can face sentences ranging from 20 years to life imprisonment or even the death penalty, depending on the volume of drugs involved.
