Preventing drug crimes using firearms

(Baonghean) -Drug criminals in the province are increasingly reckless and daring. When surrounded and chased, they are ready to use hot weapons, shoot bullets, and fight back fiercely.

New tricks

Nghe An is one of 18 key and complicated drug areas, especially in border areas with rugged terrain and low population density. In recent years, when authorities have focused on cracking down on drug crimes, many dangerous gangs and groups have emerged.

The police officer of Tuong Duong district who was injured in Project 1216M was commended and awarded by the Ministry of Public Security. Photo: Ha Thu

Most of these are led by bosses with criminal records, wanted subjects, especially dangerous wanted subjects and subjects in drug trafficking and transportation lines across provinces and countries. These "bosses" have recruited many subjects under their command, set up camps in the deep forest to secretly buy, sell and transport illegal drugs.

To fight back, these gangs use weapons such as homemade guns, sports guns, shotguns or grenades, swords to fight back, causing casualties to the arresting force. In fact, in the field of fighting against drug crimes, many officers and soldiers are injured while on duty and have to be treated for HIV exposure.

Typically, on September 16, 2016, two subjects were discovered carrying heroin entering the mountainous forest area of ​​Thong Thu commune (Que Phong). During the arrest, Lieutenant Le Van Tuan, a police officer of Que Phong district, was suddenly shot by a third subject who used an AK gun and hit him twice.

During the process of breaking into the "bunker" to arrest boss Luong Ba Duy (born 1986), residing in Na Khom village, Yen Na commune (Tuong Duong) in June 2016, the subject fought back fiercely, causing Lieutenant Dau Trong Cuong and Lieutenant Nguyen Van Lam, police officers of Tuong Duong district, to be injured and required treatment for HIV exposure.

In this case, in addition to seizing 400g of heroin and 2,268 synthetic drug pills, the police also discovered and seized 4 homemade mines, 1 grenade, 2 AK guns, 2 K59 guns, 12 homemade hunting guns that shoot sports bullets, and 92 bullets of various types.

Or like the case of arresting Vi Luu Huynh (born in 1981), residing in Yen Hoa commune, when the police rushed in to control him, the subject recklessly threw a grenade at the task force but fortunately the grenade did not explode. Or when arresting HIV-infected subject Mac Van May (born in 1977), residing in Yen Na commune, the detective was injected by the subject with a blood-stained needle, forcing him to take medicine to prevent HIV exposure.

Colonel Nguyen Huu Cau - Director of the Provincial Police Department visited Lieutenant Le Van Tuan, a police officer of Que Phong district who was injured while arresting a drug criminal. Photo: Ha Thu

Lieutenant Colonel Tran Phuc Tu - Head of Tuong Duong District Police shared: In the process of fighting this type of crime, in addition to bravery, the brothers must also have passion for the profession to complete the assigned tasks. There were battles where the reconnaissance brothers encountered many difficulties, even life-threatening when fiercely opposed.

Fight fiercely

To combat and eradicate this type of organized crime, in addition to carefully planning before the operation, scouts must also go to their headquarters to understand the methods, tricks and living rules of each subject. Even with some gangs whose bosses are foreign nationals, scouts have to spend months learning the language to approach them.

For drug trafficking gangs that use firearms, the quantity of "goods" is often large, so they fight back fiercely when discovered. Therefore, according to the experience of Major Lo Van Thao - Deputy Head of Ky Son District Police, in addition to the unit having a thorough and accurate plan, the reconnaissance process must be flexible, adaptive and self-trained in skills through each eliminated project.

Once a "hot spot" for drugs, after a period of cooling down, in 2016 and the first months of 2017, in Tuong Duong district, organized drug trafficking gangs continued to appear, setting up camps in the deep forest to "buy goods".

Huge “arsenal” of weapons seized at the house of fugitive drug lord Luong Ba Duy in June 2016. Photo: Ha Thu

At the end of 2016, when the situation of illegal drug trafficking in the Doc Moi hill area bordering the three communes of Xa Luong, Thach Giam, Yen Na and in the Doc Kem hill area of ​​Xop Pu village, Yen Na commune showed signs of becoming complicated again, Tuong Duong district police intervened and successfully eliminated project 217M, arrested 2 subjects, seized 2 heroin cakes weighing 734 grams; 6,000 synthetic drug pills and 11 grams of heroin.

Also in this project, Tuong Duong District Police chased away 4 groups and 9 individuals who were illegally trading drugs in the area, destroyed many tents and camps, and seized 3 homemade mines, 10 homemade guns, and 10 knives and swords of various types.

Talking about the experience of fighting drug criminals using firearms, Lieutenant Colonel Tran Phuc Tu said that practice is the biggest lesson that the reconnaissance brothers have after each major battle. To eliminate drug gangs using firearms, the most important thing is to penetrate their lairs to grasp the rules of transactions and living habits, from there to have the best plan. Fighting this type of crime requires perseverance, sometimes taking months, years to follow the trail before deciding to lift the net.

Thanks to that synchronous and drastic participation, the police of units and localities in the whole province have successfully fought and eliminated many drug crime hotspots and gangs, contributing to limiting the situation of criminals using weapons to commit acts of resisting law enforcement officers. Thereby, "blocking supply, reducing demand", moving towards pushing crime and drug abuse out of the community.

Ha Thu