Death battles in the jungle

The line between life and death

Western Nghe An is the place where drug criminals choose to transit, gather and consume drugs, because of many factors: It is an area with a history of growing opium, a route for drug smuggling from Laos and along the 419 km land border adjacent to the three provinces of Hua Phan, Xieng Khouang, and Bolikhamxay (Laos).

In addition to having international border gates, Vietnam and Laos also have many trails and openings across the border. Taking advantage of the rugged mountainous terrain, the low level of education of the people in the border area, limited awareness of the law, frequent trade, visit relatives... drug criminals have secretly bought, sold and transported "white goods" across the border into Nghe An in large quantities.

Western Nghe An border area. Photo: Google Maps

In the uncompromising fight against those who "spread white death", there have been encounters, even life-and-death confrontations between the police and drug criminals. Returning not long after successfully destroying Project 918C with his teammates in Tuong Duong district, Lieutenant Colonel Tran Dinh Vinh - Deputy Head of the Drug Crime Investigation Department of Nghe An Provincial Police still cannot forget the moment of the gunfight with the especially dangerous wanted person Lo Van Thi.

Known as the "drug lord" in the area, Lo Van Thi, born in 1963, residing in Dua village, Luong Minh commune, Tuong Duong district, gathered dozens of trusted followers who were addicts, ready to sacrifice themselves for him. This boss built many camps on high mountains, equipped with hot weapons to organize drug trafficking, providing "goods" to hundreds of addicts.

Under the direction of the Provincial Police, officers and soldiers from the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department and Tuong Duong District Police surrounded and attacked the gang led by Thi. However, Thi and his followers fought back fiercely. It took many hours for the detectives to approach Thi's camp and capture him alive.

Drug lord Luong Van Thi and the evidence. Photo: Minh Tam

As for Lieutenant Nguyen Van Lam, an officer of the Criminal Police - Economic - Drug Team, Tuong Duong District Police, although his working experience is not long, he has a lot of experience in dealing with drug crimes. He had to take HIV exposure medication twice, was once thrown a grenade, and countless times he had to face off with drug dealers.

Project 1216M to capture a drug lord carrying a hot weapon, Luong Ba Duy (born in 1986), residing in Yen Na commune, Tuong Duong district, is an example. During the arrest, Lieutenant Lam and his teammates were attacked by Duy and his lover, who attacked them, bit them on the shoulder, and tried to return fire. Faced with a dangerous situation, he and his teammates did not hesitate to rush in and take away the gun, arrest Duy, and eradicate the extremely dangerous drug trafficking ring led by the subject.

Also a key area for drugs, Que Phong is the land that produces "bosses", so the fight against drug crimes on this front line is equally fierce.

. In August 2016, during the process of fighting and eliminating the drug trafficking line from Laos to Vietnam in Project 816H, when the force surrounded and arrested the subjects carrying 20 heroin cakes entering from the Lao border into the mountainous forest area of ​​Thong Thu commune, Que Phong district, suddenly a subject appeared and used an AK gun to shoot directly at the arresting force, causing Lieutenant Le Van Tuan, an officer of the Criminal Investigation Police Team on Crime - Economy - Drugs of Que Phong District Police, to be hit by 2 bullets in the buttocks and left thigh.

In a critical situation, despite being injured, with a brave spirit and determination to attack the criminal to the end, comrade Tuan held a subject until his teammates helped arrest him. Then, when the case ended, he had to fight with death to win his life and was treated in the hospital for months.

Drug lord Luong Ba Duy and the tunnel through the mountain. Photo: Document

Each battle is a time for soldiers to learn valuable lessons to become more mature. How to catch criminals, while ensuring absolute safety for the people and members of the Task Force are the biggest concerns after each case is closed.

Facing danger and experiencing life-and-death battles, soldiers on the front line of fighting drug crimes have forged qualities of resilience, bravery and strategy in combat, contributing to the common victory on the long-term battle against crime.

Lieutenant Le Van Tuan, a police officer of Que Phong district, was injured in the life-and-death battle 816H, arresting subjects carrying 20 heroin cakes infiltrating from the Lao border into Que Phong. Photo: Minh Tam

Drug criminals are always reckless and dangerous. Lurking in towns and mountainous areas along the border, criminal gangs still find ways to smuggle drugs into Vietnam every day through countless mysterious routes. For a long time, the authorities have organized raids and arrested hundreds of subjects, but as soon as the raids are over, drug trafficking activities flourish more strongly than before. In particular, the buying, selling, transporting and using of synthetic drugs continues to increase and this type of drug is gradually replacing heroin, becoming the main drug used in the country.

In 2019 alone, the anti-drug force of Nghe An Police hasarrested 1,189 cases, 1,453 subjects for drug crimes,thu67.6 kgheroin,765.6 kgdrugformstone,71.3 kg MTTH, 1.8 kg medicineopium(Compared to the same period in 2018, there were 135 more cases and 169 more subjects.amount of drugs seized,increased by 6.1 times).

With the determination to gradually "cool down" drug hotspots, over the past years, under the fierce attack of the authorities, up to now, in the border areas of Nghe An, there are only about 10 large drug trafficking spots left. The ringleaders such as Sua, Bi Vang, Nhia Y Vang (Laotian), Lau Giong Long and his wife Ho Y Co (residing in Huoi Thang village, Huoi Tu commune, Ky Son); And Pa Co (residing in Bac Ly commune, Ky Son district), And Ba Po (residing in Muong Long commune, Ky Son)... were successively eliminated and arrested.

The subjects Bi Vang; the couple Lau Giong Long, Ho Y Co and the evidence. Photo: Document

Determining that Nghe An is very close to the "Golden Triangle" - a major drug capital, plus the complicated drug situation in the area, the reality of the fight against drug crimes on the border lines in recent years has had foreign elements, related to national border sovereignty, so the process of fighting and preventing requires coordination between forces on both sides of the border.

Therefore, Nghe An authorities have synchronously and drastically implemented many solutions to prevent and combat drugs, making efforts and determination to "block supply - reduce demand" right on the border. In particular, special attention is paid to the cooperation relationship in preventing and combating drugs between the authorities and the authorities of the Lao PDR.

Statistics from the Border Drug Prevention Liaison Office (BLO) located in Que Phong district, Nghe An province (Vietnam) and Sam To district, Hua Phan province (Laos) show that from 2013 to 2019, the anti-drug forces of the two countries coordinated to exchange information and organize armed raids on 5 groups of subjects (including foreigners) carrying "hot" weapons organizing illegal drug trafficking in the border area.

Eliminated 8 locations, 37 complex drug hotspots; discovered and arrested more than 800 cases, more than 1,000 drug criminals, seized more than 90 kg of various drugs and many weapons, weapons, and other valuable assets. The two sides also coordinated to provide and exchange information to successfully break 20 special cases, arresting 11 especially dangerous drug wanted subjects who had been hiding for many years in Laos.

Nghe An police launched a campaign to eradicate complex drug dens on the Vietnam-Laos border, April 2019. Photo: Minh Tam

Despite the discovery and arrest of many major drug cases, including cases in which unprecedented amounts of drugs were seized, hundreds of kilograms of various types of drugs were handled. However, the supply of drugs from abroad has not been stopped, in addition, with the change and shift in direction of drug crimes, the development of crime will become more complicated.

Faced with the still-existing danger, in the coming time, authorities at all levels in Nghe An need to take more measures to detect and combat this type of crime more strongly and effectively.