27 March 2007 (Thanh Nien News) – 4 men are arrested near the Vietnam-China border for smuggling artefacts. The article does not specify the exact kinds of artefacts, although the bronze drum would almost certainly be of the Dong son type.
Two Chinese arrested in Vietnam with smuggled artifacts
Four men have been arrested, including two Chinese nationals, on the Chinese border on suspicion of smuggling antiquities, Vietnamese police said Monday.
They were apprehended last Friday in Mong Cai town with several items in their possession, some of which have been identified as ancient Vietnamese artifacts.
The police seized 36 items, including 1 bronze drum, 59 earrings, 10 statues, and a ceramic jar, according to the Cong An Nhan Dan (People’s Police) newspaper.
“The authorities are studying the items to identify their ages,” Nguyen Huu Khia[/tag], deputy head of the provincial police’s investigation department, said Monday.
