Drugs stashed in supplemental foods and beverages brought into Vietnam

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Drugs hidden inside chocolate brought into Vietnam are seized by Hanoi Customs Department and relevant forces. Photo: N.L

Drugs hidden inside cakes and candy

On July 27, the leader of the Investigation Police Department on Drug-related Crimes (C04-Ministry of Public Security) said there have been two types of drugs in the world and in Vietnam, including supplemental foods containing drugs and drugs mixed and packaged in foods and drinks.

According to Major General Nguyen Van Vien, Director of C04, some countries allow the production of supplemental foods containing drugs with the content stated on the product packaging and a user warning.

Recently, some people have smuggled supplemental foods into Vietnam and used lead to poison as the case in Ha Long (Quang Ninh province).

These foods were brought in supermarkets in the US for their family members to use but did not know the foods contained small amounts of drugs.

In addition, drugs are mixed and packaged in the form of food and drinks, this is a sophisticated trick of criminals to outsmart law enforcement agencies for drug trafficking.

For example, the law enforcement agencies handled a case of cannabis cakes sold online in Hanoi in December 2019. Students in Hoanh Bo district, Quang Ninh used candy containing drugs, and were poisoned in October 2021; the sale of mango juice containing narcotics in HCM City in October 2020; the case of selling chocolates containing drugs in Dong Anh, Hanoi in June 2022.

The criminals knew the foods contained drugs but they often deny the violation.

Need to coordinate effectively

To prevent this, the representative of C04 said that the department needs to provide many effective solutions in the near future.

First of all, the department needs to strengthen dissemination via mass media on the State's policies and laws, the harmful effects of drugs and tricks and methods of criminals, identification of drugs, and foods that are often mixed with drugs by criminals.

Coordinating with law enforcement agencies such as Customs and Market Surveillance to strengthen inspection, detection and handling of products of unknown origin imported into Vietnam to prevent harm to the community.

Improving the strength of the entire political system, all levels, and sectors and implementing operational measures in the fight against drug-related crimes.

The police authorities from the central to local levels need to regularly strengthen coordination with schools, local authorities at all levels and each family in the education, management, and prevention and combat of drug-related crimes.

The C04 needs to regularly update, monitor and collect information and documents related to drug-related crimes to notify and direct local Police authorities across the country to publish to the whole people and promptly detect, investigate and strictly handle violations.

Strengthening the mobile handling of cases related to drugs hidden inside foods and drinks to prevent this violation.

Instructing people to detect and provide information to the competent authorities about cases of drugs hidden inside foods and drinks to promptly investigate and handle strictly under regulations of the law.

The police force needs to receive timely and sufficient information from people when detecting drug-related crimes for prevention.