10 years of combating special cases and seizing drugs

	Hanoi Customs actively fights smuggling and drugs
	Half a ton of drugs seized in the peak six months at the Southwest border
	Review large cases of smuggling handled by customs in the first quarter

Major General Nguyen Van Vien awards the Certificate of Merit of the Prime Minister to C04’s officers who have made outstanding achievements. Photo: provided by C04.

Seizing 350,000 suspects

At the conference, Major General Dinh Van Chuyen Deputy Director of C04 said drug-related crimes around the world and in the region are becoming more complicated and unpredictable. The illegal production, trafficking and use of drugs increase, especially those involving synthetic drugs.

In Southeast Asia, the Golden Triangle is a hotspot for drugs. Recently, the quantity of drugs in the area has sharply increased.

In Vietnam, drug-related crime prevention and control has been a focus of competent agencies at all levels and promoted responsibilities of each government agency and force by issuing regulations and plans for drug-related crime prevention and control.

In addition, competent agencies have expanded international cooperation in drug combat with countries in Asia, Europe, Oceania and North America. Vietnam has coordinated with Laos, Cambodia, China, thereby, effectively preventing drug trafficking from foreign countries to Vietnam.

However, drug-related crimes have not yet decreased and the operation of smugglers is increasingly complicated by abusing globalization, deep international integration, industrial revolution 4.0 and advances in scientific and technical achievements to illegally transport drugs from abroad via sea and air routes to the country.

Therefore, some areas have become “hot areas” for drug crimes.

The organization and enticing others to illegally use drugs has increased. Suspects have still illegally used drugs in business establishments with conditions for security, order and sensitive services, despite Covid-19 prevention and control measures.

The C04 has actively advised the Ministry of Public Security to effectively take measures to prevent the crimes. Especially, the Police needs to focus on combating special and transnational cases to reduce the operation of drug-related crimes in areas and the supply of drugs from abroad into Vietnam and the demand of drugs in the country.

After 10 years (2011-2021) of fighting special cases, the Investigation Police Department on Drug-related Crimes busted 232,380 cases and arrested 353,392 suspects, seized about 8.7 tons of heroin, 740kg of opium, 11.5 tons of marijuana, 353kg of cocaine, 24.1 tons of synthetic drugs, and eight tons of "Khat" leaves.

The C04 handled 1,293 cases, 3,873 suspects, seized 3.3 tons of heroin, 25kg of opium, 140kg of marijuana, 206kg of cocaine and 3.7 tons of synthetic drugs.

Preventing and combating drugs at three levels

At the conference, Major General Nguyen Van Vien said that he would direct the central and local Investigation Police forces on Drug-related Crimes to expedite operational performance.

Especially, the forces need to perform basic investigations under five areas and execute drug prevention at ministerial, provincial and district levels.

The forces are required to implement plan 02 of the Ministry of Public Security on combating drug crimes on key routes and four plans on the Northwest, North Central - Central Highlands and the Southwest, thereby, grasping the operation of organized, transnational and international drug-related crimes to make special cases, and focusing on supervising the organized crime rings to combat the whole criminal gangs.

C04 and local police authority must regularly exchange information and closely coordinate with the Border Guard, the Coast Guard, Customs, and international and domestic competent forces to bust gangs.

The Director of the C04 said that units must focus on strictly combating the crimes and expanding special cases to handle perpetrators; reviewing addicts and illegal users of drugs to reduce the demand for drug use, contributing to ensuring social order and safety in the area.

The special cases need to have the coordination between the reconnaissance and investigation forces to ensure effectiveness in implementing the cases while investigating and expanding the cases in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Code.