Nghe An determined to build a drug-free area

Eliminate many major drug lines

The fight against drugs is a particularly important task to protect sovereignty and border security. Therefore, Nghe An Border Guard regularly coordinates with other forces and local Party committees and authorities to effectively combat this type of crime.

Recently, at 2:30 p.m. on November 4, 2024, at the Nam Can International Border Gate area, the Department of Drug Prevention and Crime of the Border Guard, the Border Gate Department of the Border Guard, the Nghe An Border Guard Command co-chaired and coordinated with the Nghe An Customs Department to arrest 5 foreigners (2 men, 3 women), including: Dalavong Kinnaveth (born in 1996); Phabou Misouda (born in 2005); Chotthvong Khat (born in 2000); Chanthavong Hongfa (born in 2002), all residing in Vientiane Capital (Laos) and Lasengthong Yotdaling (born in 1992), residing in Khammouane Province (Laos) who were illegally transporting drugs.

At the scene, the authorities discovered a large quantity of ketamine hidden in the driver’s seat and in the gas tank. After counting, the authorities seized 70 packages weighing about 70 kg of ketamine and a car with a Laotian license plate, along with many related evidences.

At the award ceremony for the Special Task Force immediately afterwards, Major General Nguyen Van Thien - Deputy Commander of the Border Guard congratulated the excellent achievements of the Nghe An Border Guard in fighting the major drug case, ensuring safety for the participating forces.

At the same time, the Deputy Commander of the Border Guard emphasized that in the coming time, drug crime activities will remain a burning issue, occurring on all routes with increasingly reckless and sophisticated tricks.

Therefore, along with promoting propaganda to raise people's legal awareness, the Nghe An Border Guard Command needs to grasp the area, develop specific plans, do a good job of basic investigation; coordinate synchronously and comprehensively all professional measures and closely connect with other forces to successfully complete the task.

As the core force in crime prevention and control, in recent times, Nghe An Provincial Police have focused on fighting and eliminating many large drug trafficking and transportation rings between provinces and across countries; arresting the ringleaders.

Typically, on October 25, 2024, Nghe An Police presided over and coordinated with the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department of Hanoi City Police and Hanoi Customs Department to arrest Nguyen Van Ba, residing in Quynh Giang Commune, Quynh Luu District, Nghe An Province, when the subject had just received 16 packages of milk suspected of containing synthetic drugs sent from Europe to Hanoi City via Noi Bai International Airport and transferred to Quynh Luu District.

Conducting a vehicle and person inspection, the authorities discovered 9.3 kg of ketamine disguised in 16 packages of milk. During an emergency search of the residence, the authorities seized an additional 600 synthetic drug pills.

Next, through the work of grasping the situation, the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department of the Provincial Police discovered that the Telegram social network account named "Bom" participated in many groups such as: keo ke - nuoc vui - Saigon, Hanoi, Da Nang; nuoc vui - tong nguon; keo ke bay lac chinh xuan; com keo moc bai... with signs of suspicion of participating in illegal drug trafficking activities, so they focused on verifying.

Through that, it was discovered that the owner of the Telegram account named "Bom" is Tran Van Luan (born in 1991), residing in Kim Son town, Que Phong district, who has suspicious signs of using the above Telegram account and Zalo account to communicate and connect to organize illegal drug trafficking activities of a network nature, from Que Phong district to other localities for consumption.

In addition, Luan also used intermediary accounts to receive and transfer money to buy drugs; disguised and hid drugs as goods to consign via passenger vehicles or delivery services...

Collecting documents and evidence, at about 9:40 p.m. on November 6, 2024, at Km 682+300 of Ho Chi Minh Road, in Ky Tan Commune, Tan Ky District, the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department, Nghe An Police presided over, coordinated with professional units, Tan Ky District Police to discover and arrest Tran Van Luan and Le Dinh Viet (born in 1993), residing in Kim Son Town, Que Phong District, for the act of "Illegal drug trafficking".

During the arrest, 6,000 synthetic drug pills were discovered and confiscated, wrapped in multiple layers of plastic bags and hidden in the empty compartment under the back seat of the pickup truck that Tran Van Luan and Le Dinh Viet were using. In addition, the authorities discovered and confiscated 2 mobile phones and 1 dagger on the passenger seat of the car.

Previously, closely following the direction of the Ministry of Public Security and the Provincial People's Committee on improving the effectiveness of the fight against drug crimes on the border, limiting the situation of drugs being smuggled into the country through the Vietnam - Laos border, on the evening of July 5, 2024, the Department of Drug Crime Investigation and the Police of Thanh Chuong, Anh Son, and Quy Hop districts chaired and coordinated with professional units to successfully break a large-scale drug case, arresting 2 subjects, seizing 27 heroin cakes, 5 kg of crystal meth, 6,000 synthetic drug pills and many related exhibits...

The ringleader is S.D.T, residing in Quy Hop district, Nghe An province. This ring transports and illegally trades drugs from abroad into the border area, then disguises them in goods and sends them by passenger buses to sell in the northern and southern provinces and the Central Highlands.

Determined to "clean up" the area

With a land border of 468.281 km, bordering the three provinces of Xieng Khouang, Hua Phan, and Bolikhamxay (Laos), and close to the "Golden Triangle" - one of the major drug production areas, Nghe An is identified as a complex area for drug crimes.

Implementing the direction of the Provincial People's Committee on "Continuing to prioritize forces and measures to fight strongly and resolutely against drug crimes on the Vietnam - Laos border, determined to maintain the "green zone", firmly block, not allowing the complicated drug crime situation to recur in the border area", along with the fight, in recent times, the functional forces in the province have actively coordinated with local Party committees and authorities to effectively implement the Project "Border communes clean of drugs", which was announced by the Ministry of Public Security to commend and replicate nationwide.

Currently, Nghe An has expanded the Project to build "Drug-free communes" in 21/21 districts, cities and towns in the province, with 185 communes registered to build "drug-free", 11 districts and towns registered to build "Drug-free districts and towns"; up to now, the whole province has 272/460 drug-free communes, wards and towns, 5 district-level units (Hoang Mai town, Cua Lo town and Nghia Dan, Ky Son, Anh Son districts) with 100% of commune-level areas meeting drug-free criteria.

The work of managing, educating, and reforming offenders, delinquent youth, drug addicts, and post-addiction rehabilitation at home and in the community is closely coordinated with the government, social organizations, and families, contributing to limiting recidivism and preventing crime in areas where transformation is implemented and monitored after transformation, especially in areas under the Project "Transforming key and complicated areas of social order and safety in Nghe An province" for the period 2019 - 2030..

Currently, 100% of the areas subject to transformation have 1,587/1,587 drug addicts with management records, accounting for 16% of the total number of drug addicts with management records in the whole province). In addition, promoting the role of "eyes and ears" of the people in the fight against crime is focused on by the authorities through the construction of models (denunciation boxes, security locks...) in the movement "All people protect national security".

In particular, enlist the help of prestigious people in clans, village elders, village chiefs... to form a network of propagandists to help people grasp and clearly identify the tricks of various types of criminals and the harmful effects of drugs, thereby committing not to participate in buying, selling, transporting or assisting or covering up drug crimes.

Forecasting that in the coming time, the situation of drug crimes will continue to develop complicatedly, the Provincial People's Committee has issued many documents directing functional agencies to proactively grasp the situation, methods and tricks of criminal activities, not to be "passive and surprised"; especially drug trafficking and illegal transportation lines from outside into Nghe An, organizations and lines of transnational drug trafficking and transportation associated with the work of eliminating complicated drug hotspots and gathering places...

The People's Committee of Nghe An province issued the Project to build "Vinh City clean of drugs"”(issued with Decision No. 2364/QD-UBND dated September 9, 2024) also demonstrates Nghe An's determination to contain and repel the danger of drugs.

This is a strategic project, an important turning point, creating a spread and comprehensive change in the social order and safety situation in Vinh city in particular, and Nghe An province in general.