100% of drug hotspots and complex locations in Nghe An border area have been eliminated.

On the afternoon of May 12, in Vinh city, Nghe An Provincial Police held a Conference to summarize 1 year of implementing and expanding the Project "Border communes clean of drugs".

Delegates attending the conference. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Eliminate 100% of drug hotspots, complex drug points, and drug retail points in border areas

On April 7, 2022, Nghe An Provincial Police issued the Project to Build a "Drug-Free Border Commune" in the province..After issuing the Project, the Provincial Police mobilized 25 officers who are experienced detectives and investigators from the Police of various units and localities to reinforce the border communes; handed over 27 pickup trucks provided by the Ministry of Public Security to the Police of 27 border communes to serve the work.

Comrade Vo Thi Minh Sinh - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Chairwoman of the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee delivered a speech at the conference. Photo: Thanh Cuong

After 1 year of implementing and replicating the Project, along with the drastic and synchronous direction, many solutions of the Provincial Police and the combined strength of the political system, the Project has spread and been replicated in 21/21 districts, cities and towns in the province. There are 185 communes registered to build "drug-free" areas, 11 districts registered to build "drug-free districts" in 2023.

In addition to the 27 border communes under the Project, up to now, there have been 69 more communes that have basically met the two criteria of "clean from crime, drug abuse" and "clean from addicts", creating a positive ripple effect on the political system of the whole province and contributing to bringing a peaceful life to the people.

In addition to implementing the Project “Non-drug free border commune”, Nghe An Police has proactively advised and proposed the implementation of many social security programs and projects to eliminate hunger and reduce poverty for people in border areas. Thereby, contributing significantly to supporting people to stabilize their lives, stabilize security and order in the area, and gradually maintain the achievements of the Project.

Speaking at the conference, Lieutenant General Nguyen Duy Ngoc highly appreciated the results of the deployment, implementation and replication of the Project to build a "Non-drug free border commune" of Nghe An Police. Nghe An Provincial Police has basically completed the initially set goals and tasks, achieving many remarkable results.

Nghe An Provincial Police have promoted their role as a standing agency for crime prevention and control, proactively advising the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, and Provincial People's Committee to direct branches, Party committees, and local authorities at all levels to resolutely direct and implement the Project in a synchronous, methodical, and unified manner.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Duy Ngoc - Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Minister of Public Security spoke at the conference. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Nghe An Provincial Police have applied skillfully, flexibly and proactively in advising on the implementation of the Project in conjunction with ensuring social security in border communes, ensuring sustainability in drug prevention and eradication work in this area.

According to the Deputy Minister of Public Security, the situation of crime and drug abuse across the country continues to be complicated, with many new and more difficult problems arising, requiring continued synchronous and drastic participation from localities across the country. In particular, with its strategic location, the Vietnam - Laos border continues to be a place where drug criminals take advantage of their activities, posing many complex and unpredictable problems.

The Deputy Minister reminded Nghe An of a number of issues, especially emphasizing the work of "keeping clean" in drug-free areas, ensuring the sustainable effectiveness of the project, and absolutely not allowing drugs to arise again.

Regarding the project's implementation, Lieutenant General Nguyen Duy Ngoc requested Nghe An Police to study the roadmap and methods to ensure appropriate and feasible implementation, and absolutely not to implement it in a formal manner without depth or quality because of haste or desire for "achievements". It is necessary to determine that each step must be "clean and solid".

Speaking at the conference, Comrade Hoang Nghia Hieu - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee acknowledged, highly appreciated and commended the outstanding results of Nghe An Police in implementing and replicating the Project to build "Non-drug-free border communes". At the same time, the Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee also highly appreciated the active cooperation and participation of functional agencies and Party committees and authorities at all levels in implementing and replicating the Project in recent times.

Comrade Hoang Nghia Hieu - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee spoke at the conference. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Promoting the results and experiences achieved in the past time, the Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee hopes that the Provincial Police will continue to advise the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, Provincial People's Committee, Party committees and authorities at all levels to lead and direct the drastic and effective implementation of the work of building, maintaining and expanding "Drug-free communes, wards and towns" in the whole province, contributing to gradually achieving the goal of bringing Nghe An province out of the list of key areas of drug complexity in the country in the shortest time.

At the same time, the Provincial Police continue to advise and resolutely and effectively implement the policy of building 2,820 houses for poor households and households with housing difficulties in 6 border districts to gradually improve the material and spiritual life of the people, contributing to stabilizing the security and order situation in the area.

In addition, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Hoang Nghia Hieu requested leaders of relevant departments, branches and organizations to continue to strengthen close coordination with the police forces at all levels in ensuring security and order in conjunction with socio-economic development in border areas; Party committees and authorities of communes in the 6 border districts that have been cleared of drugs must resolutely and comprehensively implement sustainable and long-term measures to "keep clean", not to let drug crimes and social evils recur, and absolutely not leave the task of "cleaning up" drugs to the police force.

Step by step, Nghe An is removed from the country's complex drug-related hotspot.

Major General Pham The Tung - Director of Nghe An Provincial Police Department delivered the closing speech at the conference. Photo: Thanh Cuong

In his closing speech at the conference, Major General Pham The Tung emphasized that Nghe An Provincial Police identified drug and drug crime prevention as a key and strategic task that posed many challenges, requiring Nghe An Police to continue to make drastic efforts and the highest determination, both to maintain and maintain the commune that has been cleared of drugs and to continue to expand the Project, especially in the period when drug crimes and drug abuse continue to become more complicated, with more sophisticated methods and tricks that are more difficult to detect.

The Director of Nghe An Provincial Police hopes to continue receiving the attention, leadership and direction of the leaders of the Ministry of Public Security, the leaders of the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Committee; the assistance and guidance of the professional departments under the Ministry of Public Security, especially the coordination of the Police of the provinces bordering Vietnam - Laos in the fight against drug crimes, contributing to consolidating and creating a solid anti-drug defense line on the Vietnam - Laos border. These are important factors, deciding all achievements and efforts in the fight against drug crimes in general and "cleaning up" drugs at the commune level in particular.

On behalf of the Ministry of Public Security, Lieutenant General Nguyen Duy Ngoc presented Certificates of Merit to collectives and individuals with outstanding achievements in implementing and replicating the Project "Border communes free of drugs". Photo: Thanh Cuong

On behalf of the leaders of Nghe An province, comrade Hoang Nghia Hieu - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee awarded Certificates of Merit to collectives and individuals with outstanding achievements in implementing and replicating the Project "Border communes free of drugs". Photo: Thanh Cuong

With the highest political determination, in the coming time, the entire Nghe An Police force will continue to synchronously and comprehensively deploy solutions, promote the achieved results, overcome difficulties, strive to "clean up" and "keep clean" drugs in the area; complete and exceed the set targets of replicating the Project, gradually bringing Nghe An out of the country's key complex drug area.

On behalf of the Provincial Police, Major General Pham The Tung - Director of the Provincial Police presented Certificates of Merit to collectives and individuals with outstanding achievements in implementing and replicating the Project "Border communes free of drugs". Photo: Thanh Cuong

On this occasion, the Ministry of Public Security and Nghe An province awarded Certificates of Merit; the Provincial Police awarded Certificates of Merit to collectives and individuals of the Public Security units and localities in implementing and replicating the Project "Border communes clean of drugs".