Breaking up a Lao poppy trafficking ring - Nghe An - Hanoi

On February 5, the Investigation Police Agency of Nghi Loc District Police announced that it had successfully broken up Project 118M, arresting Ha Thi Hue (born 1985), residing in Tien Phong Commune, Que Phong District, and Dau Quang Duc (born 1983), residing in Chau Binh Commune, Quy Chau District, along with 40 kg of fresh poppy fruit.

Through the work of grasping the situation, the detectives of the Criminal Investigation Police Team on Criminal - Economic - Drug Crimes of Nghi Loc District Police discovered a drug trafficking ring, fresh poppy fruit from Laos brought to Hanoi for consumption in large quantities. The District Police established Project 118M to fight and from there raised suspicions about a number of subjects.

The subjects Ha Thi Hue and Dau Quang Duc were detained at the investigation agency of Nghi Loc District Police.Photo: Nhat Tuan

On February 2, 2018, there was information that the subjects would transport a large quantity of fresh poppy seeds to Vinh City and then to Hanoi for consumption. The task force decided to crack the case.

At 3:00 p.m. the same day, the task force stopped the Dung Ninh passenger bus, license plate: 37B 004... and the Luong Tram passenger bus, license plate: 37B 011..., and discovered 4 cardboard boxes containing 40 kg of fresh poppy fruit. The two bus drivers confessed to transporting these 4 cardboard boxes for a man and a woman in Que Phong district.

The task force immediately sent a working group to coordinate with the police of Que Phong and Quy Chau districts to urgently investigate the two subjects who sent the goods to the two passenger buses Dung Ninh and Luong Tram. By 12:00 on February 3, using synchronized professional measures, the task force identified the two subjects and issued emergency arrest warrants, including Ha Thi Hue and Dau Quang Duc, for illegal drug trafficking.

2 out of 4 boxes of poppy fruit were discovered and seized by the investigation agency. Photo: Nhat Tuan

At the investigation agency, Hue confessed that she often went to buy fresh poppy fruit from Laos to sell for profit. On February 2, after Hue bought 40 kg of poppy fruit, she packed the goods in 4 cardboard boxes and sold them to Dau Quang Duc for 3.4 million VND. Duc then asked Hue to send two boxes to Luong Tram passenger bus. The remaining two boxes were sent to Dung Ninh passenger bus. After being transported to Vinh City, these goods would be brought to Hanoi to be sold at a much higher price.

Currently, Nghi Loc District Police are detaining two suspects and expanding the investigation.