“Cutting off” the drug ring of a Laotian drug lord

In late 2018, through collected information, Border Guard scouts identified a huge drug trafficking ring from across the border to Vietnam for consumption through the Thong Thu border area, Que Phong district.

Border guards determined that this was a large-scale, transnational synthetic drug trafficking ring, carried out by young, strong individuals familiar with the mountainous terrain.

Crossbow with evidence. Photo: Hai Thuong

In order to combat and prevent this network of activities, Project 011A was established with the participation of the Northern Drug & Crime Prevention Task Force under the Drug & Crime Prevention Department, the Drug & Crime Prevention Department of Nghe An Border Guard and Thong Thu Border Guard Station.

Through investigation and verification, the task force identified the ringleader as Tho No Bi, a Mong ethnic, residing in Pa Khom village, Vieng Phan village cluster, Sam To district, Hua Phan province (Laos). Tho No Bi personally brought goods from the other side of the border, cut through the forest to transport into Vietnam for consumption under the guise of going to the forest or farming, causing many difficulties for the Border Guard force in fighting and solving the case.

Recently, Vietnamese authorities have stepped up their efforts to combat and prevent drug crimes, especially in coordination with Lao authorities, which has become increasingly effective.

However, with the huge profits from drug trafficking, Tho No Bi tried every way to bring drugs from across the border into Vietnam to sell for profit. To ensure the "goods" supplied to his partners, Tho No Bi bought drugs from the Golden Triangle area and hid them in his house, waiting for the opportunity to sell them, while also buying from other small sellers to make a big trip at the end of the year.

At the end of December 2018, a local source reported that Tho No Bi would directly transport a large quantity of "goods" up to tens of thousands of synthetic drug pills and crystal meth from across the border to Vietnam through the border commune of Thong Thu for consumption. The task force decided to crack the case.

Unlike previous deliveries, when the subject usually went at night, this time, Tho No Bi decided to make the delivery at noon when people least expected it.

Bi brought a large amount of drugs to sell. Photo: Hai Thuong

At around 1:15 p.m. on December 27, posing as a forester, Tho No Bi carried a sack full of "goods" from Pa Khom village, Vieng Phan village cluster, Sam To district, Hua Phan province (Laos) to cut through the forest towards Thong Thu border, Que Phong district.

The "shipment" seemed to be convenient to deliver to the partner, but when Bi arrived at the border belt area in Muong Phu village, Thong Thu commune, Que Phong district, he was arrested by the authorities, along with all the evidence, which was 50,000 synthetic drug pills and 6 kg of crystal meth.

The case has been handed over by Nghe An Border Guard to the authorities for further investigation./.