On the evening of June 18, 2022, Vietnam Airlines Corporation (Vietnam Airlines) had made a formal response to the company's flight attendants being interrogated at an Australian airport during their mission.
Vietnam Airlines representative said that this is the process by which Australian functional agencies conduct random inspections of crew members and passengers leaving the country. Up to now, Vietnam Airlines has not been recognized by the Australian authorities and has asked the company's representative in , Melbourne, to continue to contact and communicate with the Australian authorities, and has grasped relevant information about the matter.
After verifying the reports of flight crews from May to the present this year, Vietnam Airlines confirmed that it was reported by the crew of the Ho Chi Minh City to Melbourne, Australia on May 23 that the Australian authorities have inspected 9 of the 11 members of the crew.
According to the report of the Vietnam Airlines representative in Melbourne, the Australian authorities have returned the passport to the eight flight attendants after the inspection and allowed them to continue the flight on the 23rd, and continued to interrogate the remaining one flight attendant, as of 18:00 that day. Subsequently, Australian authorities allowed the flight attendant to go back without filing accusation. The flight attendant returned home on another flight on the 25th.
Previously, the Vietnam Airlines Administration had asked Vietnam Airlines to report on this incident. Previously, Australia's Channel 7 News reported that nine flight attendants from an airline were detained by Australian authorities during a raid by Australian border forces and police. Nine flight attendants were suspected of laundering money and shared the amount of $60,000 and hid it in their luggage. Australia's Channel 7 News did not disclose the names of the nine flight attendants and the names of the airlines.
According to current Australian laws, foreigners entering and leaving the country must declare their carrying more than 10,000 yuan (including) of Australian dollars and equivalent foreign currency. If they fail to declare, they may be fined or imprisoned.
