A 20.6-kilogram parcel of US dollar bills worth nearly one million dollars was found two hours after it disappeared from a safe at Noi Bai International Airport on November 12.

That morning, police escorted Techcombank Treasurer Nguyen Tien Cuong and staff of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) to deliver two cartons of money to the airport for delivery to an HSBC branch in Singapore on Singapore Airlines’ flight SQ175 at 13:30.
 
The 20.6-kilogram carton contained US dollar bills worth US$996,000 and the 16-kilogram one contained US, European and Japanese currencies.
 
Police said the two cartons were placed in the safe at the transit depot at 10:45 to await the flight after being checked and accepted by the Noi Bai Cargo Terminal Service JS Company (NCTS).
 
Before loading on the plane, NCTS staff Luu Cong Luyen discovered the bigger carton had disappeared even though the safe remained locked and unbroken. Company authorities and police were immediately informed and investigations began.
 
The lost parcel was then found out in the NCTS’ document storehouse, only three meters from the transit depot at 15:00, still sealed.
 
NCTS Deputy Director Ta Minh Dung said the two parcels were received and placed in the secure depot in compliance with protocols for valuable cargo (VAL). In other words, they were not put in the safe but passed to valuable cargo depot.
 
Mr. Dung confirmed the carton was not stolen, but… misplaced.
 
Explaining why staff couldn’t find the parcel only 3 meters from its assigned place, Dung said there were so many valuable cargos that day it was hard to see.
 
Police questioned and fingerprinted all related NCTS staff afterwards. The case is still under investigation but police are initially reporting it theft, not mere misplacement.
 
Regarding compensation, Dung said that according to International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s regulations the company must compensate a maximum of US$20 per kilogram of normal lost cargo. For valuable cargo, the amount is determined by the values entered in the waybill, but is still not much more than normal compensation.
 
The same day, Techcombank’s Deputy General Director Pham Quoc Thang issued a statement in writing stating, “Packages in transit are out of Techcombank’s control. The HSBC branch in Singapore is responsible for transport and transport insurance.”
 
Civil Aviation Administration Head Pham Quy Tieu said theft sometimes occurs in air freight but not a case as big as this yet. Gold, money and precious stones are usually transported by air and in a special mode under proper procedures.