Difficulty in fighting drug crimes in Nghe An border area

Dismantling many large transport lines

On the first day of the new year 2021 (at 8:15 p.m. on January 1, 2021), at Noong De village, Nam Can commune (Ky Son), Nghe An Border Guard coordinated with functional forces to discover and arrest two subjects Gia Duy Chung (born 2003) and Gia Ba Kenh (born 2004), both residing in Dooc May commune (Ky Son), who were illegally transporting 12 heroin cakes, about 54,000 synthetic drug pills, and 1 kg of crystal meth.

The subjects Gia Duy Chung, Gia Ba Kenh, Va Ba Gio and the evidence. Photo: Anh Bach

Expanding the investigation to 11 p.m. the same day in the area of ​​Muong Xen Town Middle School, the crime-fighting force detained and arrested Va Ba Gio (born 2000), residing in Muong Tip Commune (Ky Son) for the act ofillegal drug trafficking.

According to the initial statement, Gia Ba Gio hired two subjects, Kenh and Chung, to transport the above amount of drugs from the border to Muong Xen town. After that, Gio would transport the drugs from Nghe An to the northern provinces for consumption with an agreed fee of 300 million VND.

Colonel Duong Hong Hai - Deputy Commander of Nghe An Border Guard said: Drug traffickers often take advantage of the end of the year, holidays, Tet, and harsh weather to find ways to trade and transport drugs, even using hot weapons to fight back against the authorities, so we determined that we must fight in a special project to prevent it right from the moment they enter the border or before they enter the border. At the same time, we closely coordinate with the authorities of the other side, other forces such as the Police and Customs to prevent drugs from afar, from outside the border.

Within just 3 days (from December 30, 2020 to January 1, 2021), Nghe An Border Guard coordinated with other forces to successfully combat 3 major drug cases, seizing over 47 heroin cakes, more than 56,000 synthetic drug pills, and 1 kg of methamphetamine.

Discussing plans to fight and prevent crime. Photo: Hai Thuong

Previously, through the work of grasping the area, the detectives of the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department (Nghe An Police) discovered a drug trafficking and transportation ring with a very large quantity of drugs from Laos through the border area of ​​Ky Son district to the northern provinces for consumption. Each shipment of their "goods" often contained a large amount of drugs up to hundreds of kilograms. Dozens of detectives of Nghe An Police deployed troops, followed National Highway 7A, small-scale roads, and crossed the cold forest at the Vietnam - Laos border to solve the case.

At 4:00 a.m. on December 8, 2020, the task force discovered the subjects leaving the motel in Muong Xen town (Ky Son) and getting into a pickup truck moving towards Nam Can International Border Gate. About 20 minutes later, the subjects turned the vehicle towards Muong Xen town at high speed. Assuming that the subjects had received the goods, the working groups on National Highway 7A quickly deployed a combat plan.

The subjects in the ring transporting 150 heroin cakes were arrested. Photo: Trong Tuan

At around 5am, when the car carrying 4 suspects arrived at Tam Dinh area (Tuong Duong), the task force rushed out in the darkness and quickly stopped the car. Being suddenly suppressed, the 4 suspects barricaded themselves in the car. The head of the task force ordered to fire into the air to suppress and force the suspects to surrender. At the same time, the detectives quickly rushed in and broke the car windows to capture the suspects.

During the on-site search, the Task Force seized 8 sacks, including 150 heroin cakes and 126 packages of crystal meth. The 4 arrested subjects include: Vu A Thang (born 2001), Giang A Minh (born 1999), Ly A Po (born 2000), Mua A Vu (born 1988), all residing in Dien Bien province. They are often present at the border area near Nam Can International Border Gate to receive large quantities of drugs from Laos to be transported to the northern provinces for consumption.

Subjects in the ring transporting 150 heroin cakes and evidence. Photo: Trong Tuan

Most recently, on January 9, 2020, in Tien Phong commune (Que Phong), Nghe An police coordinated with relevant forces to arrest Bui Van Mang and Nguyen Dang Quang, both residing in Da Nang; seized at the scene 3 plastic bags containing 2 kg of crystal meth and 1 kg of ketamine and some other evidence. These two subjects were part of a large drug trafficking ring from the mountainous areas of Nghe An to the South Central provinces for consumption.

Two suspects Bui Van Mang and Nguyen Dang Quang and the evidence. Photo: Quynh Trang

These are two of the major projects of Nghe An Police in the campaign to attack and suppress all types of crimes to ensure security and order for the 13th National Party Congress and the 2021 Lunar New Year.

Many sophisticated tricks

Colonel Nguyen Chi Ty - Head of the Drug and Crime Prevention Department (Nghe An Border Guard) said: "Although the Covid-19 epidemic is complicated, drug trafficking and transportation crimes still increase cross-border transportation and trading activities, forming many closed lines and constantly changing areas of operation. Taking advantage of the dark night and complex terrain, groups of subjects are willing to cut through forests to bring drugs into the interior. The new method of drug criminals is to disguise themselves as Vietnamese people going to work, unemployed due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, illegally entering Vietnam, but in fact, they are mixing in and bringing drugs into the interior. The subjects are very cunning and cunning, constantly changing transporters and changing methods of tricks, when detecting the functional forces, they are ready to fight back or run away."

Officers and soldiers of the Nam Can International Border Gate Border Guard Station patrol the trails and openings. Photo by Thanh Cuong

Notably, recently, drug crimes have begun to form lines and groups, mainly led by foreigners, with increasingly international characteristics and extremely sophisticated methods and tricks. In addition, the authorities have also dismantled many drug trafficking lines from the border areas to the northern and southern provinces, led by people from other provinces or directly entering the area to trade and transport drugs.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Hong Duc - Head of the Border Guard Station of Nam Can International Border Gate said: "Drug traffickers and transporters operate secretly, but not alone or independently, they have a closed network and organization, some networks use family members and relatives to participate in drug transportation". To deceive the authorities, some subjects also lure village cadres, teachers and students in border districts to participate in the transportation network, such as the case of Gia Duy Chung (born 2003) and Gia Ba Kenh (born 2004) who were arrested on January 1, 2021 while transporting 12 heroin cakes and 54,000 synthetic drug pills.

Former teacher Lau Ba Xia and evidence. Photo: Vu Thanh

Both of these subjects are high school students in Ky Son district. Or the case of former teacher of Muong Long Secondary School (Ky Son) Lau Ba Xia (born 1974), who was recently sentenced to death by the People's Court of Nghe An province for the crime of "Illegal drug trafficking". As a person with 20 years of experience in teaching, just because of greed, Xia was arrested and sentenced to death for participating in the trafficking of more than 4.5 kg of drugs.

Actively fight and prevent

With the characteristic of a province with a 468.28 km long border (accounting for nearly 1/4 of the total length)Vietnam - Laos border, the longest compared to the provinces sharing the border); with 5 border gates and hundreds of small-scale border crossings, the rugged mountainous terrain is favorable for drug criminals to take advantage of hiding and operating. In addition, the geographical location is near the "Golden Triangle", the "Holy Land" of major drug production in the world, so the amount of drugs smuggled from Laos into Nghe An to third countries is still potentially large. (In the period 2016-2020 alone, the functional forces of Nghe An province have fought and discovered more than 180 major cases and crimes of buying, selling, and illegally transporting drugs into Vietnam, seizing more than 1.6 tons of drugs of all kinds).

Phuc Son Border Guard Station patrols and protects the border. Photo: Hai Thuong

In particular, at the end of the year and before the Lunar New Year, drug crimes are more active with sophisticated and reckless methods and tricks. This is also the peak time when the functional forces simultaneously launch campaigns to fight and prevent all types of crimes, including drug crimes.

Colonel Duong Hong Hai - Deputy Commander of Nghe An Border Guard said: As the year-end and Tet approaches, the demand for people and goods movement increases, the situation of illegal drug and firecracker trafficking and transportation to Vietnam, or using Vietnam as a transit point, will continue to be complicated. Therefore, on the two border lines of the province, Nghe An Border Guard will continue to coordinate with functional forces to strengthen checkpoints and controls, both to do a good job of preventing and fighting the Covid-19 epidemic, and at the same time prevent the formation of hotspots and lines of illegal drug and firecracker trafficking and transportation.

Nghe An Police also issued orders to launch a peak campaign to attack and suppress crime, ensuring security and order for the 13th National Party Congress and the Lunar New Year 2021. In particular, the Police of units and localities are required to resolutely and synchronously deploy measures to prevent, combat, and strongly suppress all types of crimes, including drug crimes.

Authorities inspect evidence in a drug case. Photo: Hai Thuong

Recently, within the framework of the working program in Nghe An taking place on the afternoon of January 8, 2021, General To Lam - Politburo member, Secretary of the Central Public Security Party Committee, Minister of Public Security also noted that Nghe An Public Security closely combines professional prevention with crime suppression; proactively detect and resolutely cut off transnational drug trafficking and transportation lines.