Strengthen fight against drug-related crime in the North Central-Central Highlands

	Launching Operation Mekong Dragon IV
	Identifying drug-related crime on Vietnam-Laos border
	Drug-related crimes in the first month of 2022 increase 369% to over 4,000 cases

Border Guard, Customs, Police forces seizes 60,000 drugs tablets in Quang Tri in August 2021.

Drug-related crime increases

According to The Investigation Police Department on Drug-related Crimes (C04), the Northern Central Highlands region has border routes across 10 provinces of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak and Dak Nong, adjacent to eight provinces of Laos, two provinces of Cambodia.

Amid the complicated development of the Covid-19 pandemic, the competent agencies have strictly controlled people and vehicles crossing the border. However, the crime along the route has not yet decreased, even showing a high risk. The illegal operations in provinces adjacent to Laos in the North Central region have increased.

Domestic smugglers have colluded with smugglers in Laos to operate illegal transportation of drugs across the border gate and areas adjacent to Vietnam. Notably, some Lao suspects have used weapons to fight competent forces when they are discovered and arrested.

At the meeting of the Steering Committee on the plan on prevention and fight against drug-related crime in the North Central-Central Highlands held by Quang Tri Police on April 22, the representative of C04 said that after six months of implementing the plan, the local police authorities have achieved positive results in combating drug transportation from abroad into Vietnam; executed effective solutions at the central to the local level.

C04 and the police of 10 provinces in the North Central Highlands handled 1,940 cases and 3,132 suspects, seized 623,000 tablets and 400kg of synthetic drugs, 35kg of heroin, 4,512 fresh cannabis plants, 10kg of dried cannabis, and many other infringing goods. The local police have investigated 2,045 cases and 2,837 suspects.

The competent agencies have busted 66 drug-related spots and investigated 107 drug-related spots, and arrested 14 wanted people.

Preventing hot spots

It is forecast that the provinces in the North Central-Central Highlands are hot spots for drug-related crime.

Therefore, the Police authority has focused on key tasks. The authority will well perform tasks, monitor the actual situation in each locality; effectively manage addicts and illegal drug users in association with the management of drug-related spots and conditional business establishments; prevent the development of complicated drug-related spots, causing public concern; bust the illegal planting of drug-containing plants in the provinces.

The Police will prevent and combat crime under three-layer protection, associated with detecting and fighting drug transportation rings, and arresting suspects who stay in the country or abroad.

Improve the quality of coordination among forces of Customs, Border Guard and Coast Guard in exchanging information and preventing crimes; develop plans to deal with the illegal transportation of drugs into the provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Tri and Nghe An, and handle hot spots.

Strengthen dissemination and raising people's awareness and responsibility in drug-related crimes, especially the responsibility of managing young people and teenagers against illegal drug use.