Prevention of illegal drugs in Dien Bien faces challenges

	Dien Bien Customs Department makes two drug busts
	Dien Bien Customs coordinated to arrest 3 drug carriers
	Customs continuously collaborated to seize 20 bars of heroin, 17,000 tablets of synthetic narcotics

Mua A De with tablets of 29,600 crystal meth. Photos provided by Dien Bien Customs.

Drug smugglers along the Vietnam-Laos border, including the border of Son La and Dien Bien provinces, are using increasingly sophisticated methods. In order to combat this type of crime, Customs, Police and Border Guards regularly follow the situation, take the initiative, effectively block attemps, contributing to ensure security in the area.

The specialized anti-drug force of Dien Bien Customs Department is a team dedicated to drug control and prevention. They also do advisory work and regularly organize and coordinate with functional forces to prevent illegal drugs coming across the border, especially on key routes and locations.

In June, responding to the "Month of drug prevention and control action", the Drug Control and Prevention Team has implemented professional measures, improved the management of localities, inspected and controlled border gates, areas under control of customs and worked well in coordination with internal and external forces in the fight against drugs.

As a result, during the month, the team coordinated to detect four cases involving four suspects, confiscated more than 1kg of heroin, 32,600 tablets and 1kg of methamphetamine.

On June 6, in sub-area 32, Co Noi commune, the working group including the Drug Control and Prevention Team, Room PC04 (Son La Police), Mai Son district police and the Division of Drug Prevention and Crime (Son La Border Guard) was responsible for detecting and arresting Mua A De who transported 29,600 tablets of crystal meth. On June 20, the Drug Control and Prevention Team co-ordinated to arrest a suspect transporting 1,000 pills suspected of being synthetic narcotics.

Talking to reporters from the Customs Newspaper, leaders of the Drug Control and Prevention Team said on the border of Long Sap, Chieng Khuong (Son La) and Tay Trang (Dien Bien), the number of drug cases is still high. Drugs come from Laos into Vietnam through Dien Bien and Son La province and are then transferred to other provinces or cities or to a third country for consumption. Suspects often hide drugs inside their bodies or luggage and are often armed.

In addition to the achieved results, specialized drug prevention and combat forces in Dien Bien Customs face dangerous terrain, a lack of resources, equipment and facilities, as well as outdated communication technology and weapons, meaning they are unable to effectively prevent drug crimes. Residents on both sides of the border face many difficulties and have limited awareness of the law, meaning they are easily enticed into transporting drugs for criminals.

In order to overcome these difficulties, the Drug Control and Prevention Team will continue to take professional measures of inspection and control in drug prevention in the area under ​​customs control. At the same time, officers will focus on checking and strictly controlling import and export goods which are suspected of illegal transportation of narcotics, pre-substances, addictive substances and psychotropic substances.

The team in collaboration with the Police and Border Guard forces in three provinces (Son La, Dien Bien and Lai Chau) understand the situation of the area, exchange, share information, fight to prevent and arrest suspects who violate the illegal trading and transport from cross-border to the inland.

Dien Bien Customs Department is assigned to manage three provinces: Dien Bien, Lai Chau and Son La, including five border-gate customs offices: Tay Trang and Huoi Poc (Dien Bien), Ma Lu Thang (Lai Chau), Chieng Khuong, Long Sap (Son La) and one customs sub-department outside the border (Son La Customs Branch).

In the first half of 2019, Dien Bien Customs cooperated to detect 23 cases and arrest 31 suspects for illegally buying, selling and transporting drugs. Customs officers coordinated to confiscate 10kg of opium; 9.6 kg of heroin; 92,404 synthetic drug tablets, 4kg of methamphetamine; 25 mobile phones, 11 motorbikes and six guns.

Arrest 2 person transporting 4kg of heroin VCN – According to information of Border Defense Force, the competent force under High Command of Border ...

The Drug Control and Prevention Team coordinated to detect 13 cases involving 16 suspects; confiscate 10kg of opium and 8,220 synthetic drugs; 34,800 tablets; and six guns.