10kg of opium and the young boss's tricks

(Baonghean.vn) - Tho Cha Ly cut the yellow plastic can that usually contained oil in his family, put opium inside, and then used white tape to seal it.

In early January 2017, through a survey of the situation in the border area of ​​Tri Le commune, Que Phong district, scouts of Tri Le Border Guard Station and the Crime and Drug Prevention Department of Nghe An Border Guard discovered an organized drug trafficking ring from across the border to Vietnam.

» Que Phong: Hot reward for project 360L

They often take advantage of weekends, holidays, and market days to easily blend in and carry out drug trading. Faced with that situation, Nghe An Border Guard mobilized experienced scouts to monitor and verify.

Two suspects with evidence of the case. Photo: Hai Thuong

Through investigation, the detectives determined that this was an organized drug ring operating in a closed loop from across the border to Vietnam. Before the exchange of goods, they carefully researched and surveyed the terrain, and understood the operating rules of the authorities to transport and exchange drugs.

To gain trust, they often use family members and close relatives to participate in their activities. The leaders of the ring are very knowledgeable about the terrain and have many tricks to deal with the authorities.

Faced with the extremely sophisticated tricks of the criminals, Nghe An Border Guard determined that it was necessary to quickly eliminate this drug ring, and project 360L was quickly established.

After nearly 3 months of investigation, at 3:00 p.m. on May 13, in San village, Tri Le commune, Que Phong district, Tri Le Border Post coordinated with the Drug and Crime Prevention Department of the Provincial Border Guard, the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department (PC47) of Nghe An Police, the Drug Control Team of Nghe An Customs Department and Que Phong district police to discover and arrest two Lao subjects: Tho Cha Ly (born in 1993) and Tho Dua Dia (born in 1988), both of Lao Sung ethnicity, residing in Na Co Mu village, Pha Danh commune, Muong Quan district, Hua Phan province (Laos), on the way to illegally transport drugs from across the border to Vietnam for consumption.

Subject Tho Cha Ly. Photo: Hai Thuong.

Evidence collected at the scene was a black plastic bag (suspected to be opium) contained in a plastic can weighing 10kg, 2 motorbikes, and 2 cell phones.

Through investigation, the subjects confessed that the black plastic bag was opium, which they purchased and exchanged with local people, then brought to Vietnam to sell for profit.

Accordingly, on the morning of May 13, 2017, a Mong person in Tri Le commune, Que Phong district, informed that someone needed to buy opium. As a broker, the supplier Tho Cha Ly discussed with his uncle Tho Dua Dia to buy opium from families in the village and sell it for profit.

To successfully transport the amount of contraband goods into Vietnam, as well as many times he had brought goods to exchange, Tho Cha Ly proved to be a mastermind with many schemes. This time, he came up with a very sophisticated way to hide the opium. Tho Cha Ly cut open the family's yellow plastic can that usually contained oil and put the opium inside, then used white tape to seal it.

If it was very difficult to detect at first glance, then flip the cut side down and tie it tightly to the front of the motorbike driven by Tho Cha Ly himself, at the same time assigning the task to his uncle Tho Dua Dia to ride another motorbike to protect and prepare for unexpected situations to easily escape.

Both were driving motorbikes of very similar color, same Honda brand and both without license plates, crossing the forest road from the other side of the border to Tri Le commune to deliver the goods.

However, the transaction was not carried out when the two subjects were arrested by the Nghe An Border Guard force in coordination with Nghe An police and Nghe An Customs, along with all the evidence of 10kg of opium, 2 motorbikes, and 2 mobile phones.

This is considered an outstanding achievement of the Nghe An Border Guard force and the authorities in coordination in the fight to "prevent black rice" from entering Nghe An.

The case has been handed over to the authorities for further investigation.

Hai Thuong