Drug criminals are "using" express delivery

The exhibit of 26,710 synthetic drugs seized by the Customs and Police forces in November 2017.

Drug crimes evolve complexly

At a meeting to sum up the fight against drug crimes between the Customs forces and related units in the period 2016-2017, organized by the Hanoi Customs Department on December 20th 2017, the representatives of this unit said that over the past years, the situation of illegal trading and transportation through the customs offices under Hanoi Customs Department management, has been very complicated and potentially dangerous with increasingly sophisticated tricks of concealment, in size as well as nature. In particular, Noi Bai International Airport is one of the key areas where there is a high probability of narcotics transshipment, especially the export of narcotic drugs, heroin and precursors, and marijuana.

Express delivery is a key route for importing cannabis, cocaine, synthetic drugs, narcotic drugs, psychotropics, and dried leaves containing Cathinone and Cathine in the form of gifts and presents; importing drugs from foreign countries such as the Netherlands, the Horn of Africa and South America for transshipment to third countries; exporting illegal drugs cleverly camouflaged in non-commercial shipments to Canada and Australia.

Drugs are transported through areas originating mainly from countries of Africa, Central Asia, South America and Canada, by air transit through countries in Southeast Asia and the Middle East to Vietnam. Especially cocaine originating from South American countries is transported to Vietnam by air routes and express delivery to transit to other countries. Drugs to Vietnam are shipped from the overseas origins of South America and Africa to Hanoi, and are then mainly exported to Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and some countries in the ASEAN region.

Major drugs transported by air are heroin, synthetic drugs, cocaine and Khat leaves. Drugs exported through air and express delivery are mainly heroin, cocaine, synthetic drugs and precursors used to produce synthetic drugs.

In the two years from 2016 to 2017, the Hanoi Customs Department in collaboration with police forces arrested 16 cases of drug trafficking. By way of illustration, the E36 project in 2016 seized 210 bales of cargo, weighing 2,232 kilograms of tobacco leaves containing Cathinone and Cathine. On March 23rd 2017, the Hanoi Department of Customs and Police arrested two people within exhibits of 20,418 synthetic drugs.

On November 14th, these forces continued with an arrest of 3 people, and the exhibits were 26,710 synthetic drugs.

Tighten two hot spots

According to Colonel Nguyen Hong Ky, Head of the Drug Enforcement Police (PC47) under Hanoi Police, the evolution of drug crimes is very complex with many different methods and tricks. Notably, by drug transportation via air routes into the country and exported to other countries.

Through the implementation of coordination regulations between the two forces of Customs and Police, they have contributed to the destruction of a series of lines, groups, and drug carriers from inland to other countries, and from other countries to Hanoi, with many specialized courts on the lines, and criminals of drug transshipment. “Hanoi Police will investigate the crime of drug addiction in close cooperation with Hanoi Customs Department in the fight against drug crimes”, Mr. Ki said.

According to this plan, in 2018, the Hanoi Customs Department will continue to work closely with the Hanoi Police and the General Department of Customs and related forces in the fight against crime in the area.

The forces will take the "sight" of goods through two routes: express and air routes, especially cargo routes from the Middle East, South America, the United States, Canada, Africa, and Europe to Vietnam, and from Vietnam to Australia, Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong etc. They will detect and coordinate in arresting criminals, lines and traffickers, that are illegally transporting narcotics.

Together with the strengthening of the two forces for patrols, inspection and controlling of export-import activities of enterprises related to the import and export of pre-substances, the Ministry of Public Security will send its cadres and soldiers having experiences on the battlefield against drug crimes, to raise awareness to civil staff in the whole department on methods and concealment tricks by drug criminals when carrying out Customs procedures, as well as to identify and classify drugs through tests.