Successfully destroy largest transnational drug trafficking line

More than 1 hundredweight of drugs was seized in the specialised project. Photo: Nguyễn Vân

Through investigation, the Anti-smuggling and Investigation Department – General Department of Vietnam Customs identified the largest transnational drug trafficking line from Cambodia to HCM City for consumption. Specialised project No. ĐN620 was established and competent forces collaborated to destroy this line.

After many months of monitoring, at midnight on July 30, the Drug-related criminal investigation Police Department (C04 - Ministry of Public Security), Anti-smuggling and Investigation Department - General Department of Vietnam Customs, Command of Border Defence force, Drug-related criminal investigation Police Division, Binh Thanh District Police - HCM City Police, Dong Nai Province Police, and Kien Giang Border Defence force coordinated to close a specialised case of the transnational drug trafficking line from Cambodia through the southwest border gate areas to gather at HCM City for consumption. Through tracing drugs origin, it was operated under a line of Chinese, Korean people, arresting several subjects, seizing large amounts of drugs from many locations.

The specialised project committee divided into several working groups and conducted physical inspection at 11 locations (including nine locations in HCM City and two locations in Dong Nai) seized 19 bricks of heroin, 120 kg of drugs of all kinds (methamphetamine, ketamine, ecstasy), arrested 15 subjects and seized many other exhibits.

Through searching at the subject's home and warehouse in Binh Chanh, competent forces seized 75kg of methamphetamine, ketamine, arrested two Vietnamese subjects; seizing 30kg of narcotics, arresting one person through searching warehouse in Tan Binh; seized 19 bricks of heroin, 8 kg of methamphetamine, arrested one person in Bien Hoa, Dong Nai; the competent forces also seized drugs and arrested 12 people at other locations in HCM City.

Many subjects were arrested. Photo: Nguyễn Vân

Earlier, at dawn on July 19in Cat Lai port area, HCM City, competent forces included C04 - Ministry of Public Security, Anti-smuggling and Investigation Department - General Department of Vietnam Customs, Department of Crime and Drugs Prevention - the Commander of Border Defence force and professional units conducted an urgent inspection for a 20-feet container weighing nearly 30 tonnes. The goods were declared as granite stone preparing to be disinfected for loading on the ship and transporting to INCHEON port of South Korean. The competent forces collected a large amount of narcotics hidden in stone blocks including 40 kg of synthetic drugs, arresting five subjects, including two Chinese, two Koreans and one Vietnamese.

This drug trafficking and trading line was operated by drug traffickers. They transported drugs from Cambodia and gathered in HCM City for consumption at the southern provinces and disguised to conceal drugs in granite stone blocks to ship to a third country for consumption.

According to the leader of the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department - General Department of Vietnam Customs, this was a typical and successful case regarding the synchronous and close coordination between the three forces. In particular, the directing work was implemented synchronously throughout from the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Defense, the General Department of Vietnam Customs, to close and effective coordination of many forces and units of Ministry of Public Security, Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department (General Department of Vietnam Customs) and units of Border Defence force such as Group 3 of the Anti-Drug and Crime Prevention Department, HCM City Border Defence, Kien Giang Border Defence and other forces.

This was also a typical case to successfully destroy the line of trading, transporting and drugs consumption from Cambodia to Vietnam; tracing the origin of the drug line operating by Korean and Chinese people in collaboration, and it was the first time the subjects used construction stones to hide drugs for export to a foreign country.