Investigators have also pressed smuggling charges against Do Thanh Lam, 36, who is now living in Australia.

The four men are found to have been connected to the smuggling of electronic products from Australia into Vietnam. Two men were arrested in the case in June last year.

Nguyen Duc Vu, who worked at Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, was taken into police custody for helping other people smuggle electronics items between August 2002 and May 2010. Police also arrested Nguyen Minh Hoang, 47, for distributing the illegal goods.

Initial investigations revealved that Lam was the mastermind of the ring, while Thuy and other accomplices were responsible for selling the goods. Thuy alone sold around US$47,000 worth of the smuggled electronics products.

The model told news website VnExpress on Thursday that he has not been contacted by investigators. However, he admitted that he made a mistake buying electronic products “with unclear origins.”

Thuy, one of the most famous male models in Vietnam, has also starred in several films and TV dramas.