Caught two sisters harvesting more than 2,300 opium plants

Subject Trang A Lau with evidence at the investigation agency. Photo: Thai Ha

On March 7, information from Lai Chau Provincial Police said that local authorities had just caught three people illegally growing and harvesting opium poppies, seizing about 2,900 plants.

Specifically, on March 4, Muong Te District Police (Lai Chau) discovered and caught red-handed two subjects, Giang Thi Sinh (born 1997) and Giang Thi Hoa (born 2002, Sinh's younger sister, both residing in Nam Dinh village, Ta Tong commune, Muong Te district) harvesting opium poppy fruits, stems and roots in Nam Dinh village.

On the same day, at Ta Hu village in Ho Mit commune (Tan Uyen district, Lai Chau), Tan Uyen district police discovered and arrested Trang A Lau (born in 1962, residing locally) for growing opium poppies, seizing 588 plants.

With the determination to prevent and completely eradicate opium poppy in the area, in recent years, Lai Chau Provincial Police have always strengthened the direction of functional units and district and city police to deploy the work of preventing and eradicating opium poppy right from the beginning of the crop season.

Accordingly, from 2016 up to now, officers and soldiers have been sent to key areas of opium cultivation to conduct propaganda work, grasp the situation, promptly prevent opium cultivation activities, and thoroughly destroy discovered areas.

Officers and soldiers are propagandizing and encouraging local people to give up opium. Photo: Tran Cuong

Lai Chau Provincial Police said that the area of ​​opium cultivation in the province has decreased sharply. From 2016 to now, 148,872m2 have been destroyed.². In the 2018 - 2019 crop year alone, 4,120m have been discovered so far.²(down 27.82% compared to last crop year).

However, through the work of monitoring the situation, it is noted that some subjects still have the mindset of monitoring and waiting for favorable times to continue growing opium poppies. If the work of handling opium poppy cultivation is not resolute, the situation will become complicated.

Currently, the above 3 subjects are being detained for investigation and handling by authorities according to regulations.