Five months of covert operations deep in the jungle led to the bust of a case involving 500 blocks of heroin.
The drug trafficking hub of the transnational network was located near the Vietnam-Laos border; investigators had to walk 6 km and stake out the area for months, during which some members suffered from malaria.
The Drug Crime Investigation Department PC 47 of the Dien Bien Provincial Police has just busted a case involving the transportation of nearly 500 blocks of heroin – the largest quantity of drugs ever seized in the area.
The two people arrested are husband and wife.Vàng A Kia (44 years old) and Mùa Thị Đớ (38 years old) confessed that they were hired to transport drugs from Laos to Điện Biên Phủ city and then onward to a third country for 400 million VND.The upfront payment is 150 million VND, with the remaining amount to be paid after the goods are delivered.
Malaria during 'investigation'
To crack this case, the detectives of PC 47 spent half a year enduring hardships. The drug stash area was located near the Vietnam-Laos border, surrounded by forests; the only way to get there was on foot. "We had to walk.""It was a 6km jungle trail. On many rainy days, the path was slippery, and we walked barefoot, using our five toes to grip the ground to avoid falling. There were some steep hills that required us to lower ropes or use bamboo poles to climb down to cross," a scout recalled.
At one point, the scouts were stationed deep in the jungle for nearly a month. During the winter, the temperature dropped, and the cold in the jungle bit into their skin.The only food we brought was dried rations, instant noodles, and canned meat.
"During the ambush, a lieutenant contracted malaria. The team had to cut down trees to make a stretcher and walk several kilometers to get him out, then ride a motorbike 15 kilometers to the commune's health station for emergency treatment," this detective recounted. After spending 10 days in the hospital, this lieutenant volunteered to go back into the forest to continue working on the unfinished case.
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Nearly 500 blocks of heroin were seized. Photo: Son Duong |
'Decoy' to mislead investigation
On the first day of the new year 2018, investigators received information that a trafficking group was preparing to transport goods to a location in the forest of Na U commune. Their plan was to transport them to Dien Bien city and then to a third country for sale.
Instead of transporting the goods immediately, they assigned "decoys" on three motorcycles carrying sacks to the Dien Bien Phu basin to scout the area. Aware of their tactic, the investigators turned a blind eye.
Seeing that the situation was favorable, at around 6:30 PM that same day, Kia and Do, a married couple, rode two motorbikes carrying six sacks into the open field in the Dien Bien basin, Dien Bien district.
The task force split into multiple teams, tightening the cordon. Upon spotting the authorities, the couple fiercely resisted with weapons but were eventually subdued.
The special task force seized 489 blocks of heroin weighing 171 kg, hidden in tea bags, along with 2 motorcycles and 2 mobile phones. The drugs were valued at approximately 3 million USD, equivalent to 70 billion VND.
According to the head of the PC47 Department in Dien Bien, this is a high-quality drug trafficking ring operating across borders. Originating in Laos, this group connected with the Mong ethnic group in Na U commune, Dien Bien district, Dien Bien province, to transport drugs to a third country.
