Portrait of two brothers running a transnational drug ring

In early January 2018, information from scouts reported that in the border area between Xieng Khouang province (Laos) and Nghe An (Vietnam), there were often people transporting drugs into Vietnam for consumption. The activities of this group were very secretive and they were very young and very reckless.

Authorities coordinate to discuss measures to solve the case. Photo: Hai Thuong

Each time they gathered goods, they often risked transporting large quantities. Upon receiving the information, the Provincial Border Guard's Crime and Drug Prevention Department and the Nam Can International Border Gate Border Post coordinated with Xieng Khouang Provincial Police to establish Project 367LV to fight and destroy them. Immediately after, elite scouts who were fluent in the area and foreign languages ​​were assigned to monitor every move of the subjects.

Because the area of ​​operation of the subjects is a place with rugged mountainous terrain, the area stretches on both sides of the border, even to the capital Vientiane of Laos, so the detectives had a hard time tracking and tracking the movements of the subjects. However, with the support and effective help of the Xieng Khouang provincial police (Laos), the criminals' movements gradually became clear.

The task force has gradually built up the portraits of the subjects in the drug trafficking ring, and at the same time clarified that the people behind, operating, and playing the main role in the ring are brothers: Cho Gia and Chan Gia, both residing in Nhot Ngum village, Muong Pet district, Xieng Khouang province (Laos). In which, the younger brother is a second-year university student at a university in the capital Vientiane, Laos.

Two subjects Chan Gia and Cho Gia. Photo: Hai Thuong

These subjects are all very young (born in 1994 and 1998), but their methods are very sophisticated and have a very high level of confidentiality. Every step from finding locations, transporting, and delivering goods is done by them, so almost no information is leaked. In addition, to avoid being monitored and detected by the authorities during transactions, they often use symbols and codes. Therefore, it takes a lot of time and effort for detectives to grasp the rules of the subjects' activities.

After a period of time to grasp the situation, in early March 2018, when activities at Nam Can border gate (Ky Son) were bustling again after the Lunar New Year holiday, seeing a favorable opportunity to transport goods, the two brothers Cho Gia and Chan Gia began to gather goods to smuggle into Vietnam. Like previous shipments, this time the younger brother asked the school to take a leave of absence to go back to work with his older brother to bring goods to the partner and not deliver them to anyone. To facilitate carrying and crossing the forest, the synthetic drugs and heroin were carefully wrapped and camouflaged in a student backpack to avoid being detected by the authorities.

On March 7, the investigation team received information that the subjects in this ring were preparing to transport a large amount of drugs into the border area for sale in Vietnam. The task force deployed forces to coordinate with the police of Xieng Khouang province, Laos, to ambush and arrest them. In the early morning of March 8, taking advantage of the fog and cold weather, the two brothers Chan Gia and Cho Gia brought the goods through the forest to infiltrate the border area to deliver to their partners as planned.

The bag containing evidence. Photo: Hai Thuong

However, the transaction could not be carried out because at 4:30 a.m. on March 8, 2017, the two brothers Cho Gia and Chan Gia were arrested by the Anti-crime and drug prevention force (Provincial Border Guard); Nam Can International Border Guard Station in coordination with Xieng Khouang Provincial Police - Laos at Nhot Ngum village (Muong Pet district). The evidence seized at the scene was 18,000 synthetic drug pills and 02 (two) heroin cakes.

Through initial statements, the two subjects confessed to buying the above amount of drugs from Vientiane to transport through Xieng Khouang province - Laos to Vietnam for consumption, and were arrested upon arriving at the above location.

Immediately afterwards, Nghe An Border Guard handed over the subject and evidence to Xieng Khouang Provincial Police - Laos for further investigation and handling.

Colonel Nguyen Chi Ty, Head of the Drug and Crime Prevention Department (Nghe An Border Guard) said: The successful fight against Project 367LV demonstrates the smooth and effective coordination between the functional forces of Nghe An and Xieng Khouang provinces, especially Nghe An Border Guard and Xieng Khouang provincial police, in the fight against illegal drug trafficking across the border, gradually contributing to preventing and repelling illegal drug trafficking in the two provinces.