Long An: Illegal drug transportation still a problem

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70 kg of drugs were seized in 10 days

In 10 days of May, competent forces seized nearly 70kg of drugs transported from Cambodia to Vietnam via the Long An border area, of which one haul amounted to 63kg of drugs.

On May 22, the Border Guard inLong An province coordinated with Police of Long An province and the Southern Special Task Force on Drug and Crime Prevention to arrest Vu Ha Giao and Nguyen Tuan Kiet for drug transportation and storage. These two suspects claimed that they transported drugs for a Cambodian person, aiming to bring the drugs to Ho Chi Minh City for consumption. Based on the testimony of these suspects, competent authorities inspected Lam Truong Canal area at Village 3, Thanh Tri Commune, Kien Tuong Town and seized about 5kg of synthetic drugs.

Previously, the Southern Special Task Force on Drug Prevention and Crime coordinated with the Ministry of Public Security, Police of Long An province and Border Guard of Long An province to seize a car driven by Truong Quoc Cuong from Vinh Hung Commune to KienTuong Town. Through the inspection, the competent forces detected that Cuong transported nearly 7kg of heroin, 36kg of ketamine and nearly 20kg of methamphetamine. Cuong claimed he was transporting these drugs from Cambodia to Vietnam for consumption. The Border Guard of Long An province issued a decision to prosecute and transfer the case to Long An Police.

In February 2019, My Quy Tay Border Gate Border Station collaborated with the Division of Drug and Crime Prevention under Border Guard of Long An Province, My Quy Tay Customs Branch, Long An Customs Department to arrest Nguyen Thanh Ngoc who transported 3kg of drugs suspected as being crystal meth and 4,000 tablets suspected as being synthetic drugs. Ngoc said that he hid more than 2kg of crystal meth in his rental house in Cambodia. The competent forces coordinated with Cambodian Police to inspect and seize these drugs. The case wastransferred to the Police of Long An province to investigate and prosecute.

Strengthen control

Facing illegal drug transportation in Long An border area and implementing Directive No. 4550/CT-TCHQ of the Director General of Vietnam Customs andLetter No.3316/TCHQ-DTCBL of the General Department of Vietnam Customs, Long An Customs Department has taken measures to enhance the prevention and fight against illegal trafficking and transportation of drugs in border gates, ports and industrial parks under customs operation areas.

Accordingly, Long An Customs Department has directed units to strictly control imported and exported precursors,promptly detect methods and tricks to abuse regimes of goods export and import; people and mean of transport on exit and entry to hide, smuggle and illegal transportation of drugs and precursors.

Leaders of Long An Customs Department also requested customs departments at border gates to strengthen the use of luggage scanners and customs control measures in the combat of drug crime to collect information and prevent subjects abusing the import and export regimes to smuggle and illegally transport drugs across borders.

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Targeted subjects are passengers on exit and entry, people who regularly go to border gates without specific purpose. Specifically, Vietnamese passengers often go to casinos to gamble in Cambodia. There are also border residents and traders who work in casinos in Cambodia and regularly cross the border. Some people are Cambodian government officials in the border area, abusing their acquaintance with Vietnamese competent forces to easily cross the border gate for illegal drug transportation. Long An Customs Department also focuses on closely managing enterprises importing and exporting drug precursors, addictive drugs, psychotropic drugs and the use of precursors of these enterprises.