After crossing 50 km of forest road from the center of Ky Son district, we returned to My Ly commune, which has a land border of nearly 45 km, the longest among 27 communes sharing a border with Laos in Nghe An. It is clear that, unlike before, people in the villages no longer look suspiciously when they see strangers appear.
Excitedly showing us, Mr. Luong Van Bay - Chairman of the People's Committee of My Ly commune said: In the past, whenever a stranger entered the area, people were suspicious, hesitant and worried about whether they were good or bad people, and whether they intended to lure their relatives into drugs. However, now, after sending 23 addicts to the compulsory drug rehabilitation center, the area currently has no gathering places, retail points, retailers, or places organizing illegal drug use. Along with that, the commune police regularly coordinate with functional forces to organize patrols and control inter-village, inter-commune and border routes, so people are very secure.
According to research, not only My Ly commune, the remaining border communes of Ky Son district such as Nam Can, Ta Ca, Bac Ly, Na Loi, Dooc May, Keng Du, Muong Tip, Muong Ai, Na Ngoi, Nam Can currently do not have any subjects, groups, or lines showing signs of suspicion related to drug-related criminal activities. At the time of April 2022, in the 11 border communes of the district, there were 121 drug addicts, now 77 subjects have been recorded for compulsory drug rehabilitation, 10 subjects are undergoing community drug rehabilitation, 5 subjects have been verified and removed from the list of suspected drug addicts, 19 subjects have been arrested in drug cases, 22 subjects have left the locality.
Mr. Vi Hoe - Secretary of Ky Son District Party Committee said: The implementation of the project to build a "Border Commune free of drugs" has greatly contributed to the peace of the people, the area, and the border, thereby creating a healthy, peaceful, and stable environment.
The changes in Ky Son district today have demonstrated the practical effectiveness of the project to build a "Drug-free border commune". In fact, Nghe An is the largest province in the country, with a 468.3km long border, bordering 3 provinces of Lao PDR; has 27 border communes in 6 districts, 5 border gates connected to 3 key national highways; geographical location near the "Golden Triangle" area - the world's drug mecca.
Here, criminal activities related to complex drug hotspots and locations pose high risks; drug criminals often transport drugs from Laos into the province and to other localities for consumption (through monitoring, 80% of the amount of drugs seized in the province is smuggled across the Vietnam - Laos border). Drug criminals often lure ethnic minorities in border communes to participate in crime. In addition, the number of addicts and suspected addicts in border communes is still high, and the risk of replanting opium poppies is still latent in some remote villages and areas where Mong people live. Through a survey of 27 border communes of Ky Son, 24 communes have drugs (of which 11/27 communes are key and complicated drug communes); there are 516 addicts and suspected addicts present in the area; 01 hotspot, 03 complex locations, 33 drug retail locations and 26 suspects of drug-related crimes.
Faced with that situation, in order to fight resolutely and effectively against drug crimes and evils in the province and on the Vietnam-Laos border, the Director of Nghe An Provincial Police signed Decision No. 318/QD-CAT-PV01 dated April 7, 2022 on promulgating the Project to build "Drug-free border communes" in the province. The project's viewpoint is to take prevention as the main point, changing the awareness to action of all levels, sectors, political systems and all people in border communes; combining the drastic implementation of "supply blocking, demand reduction"; synchronously implementing professional measures to fight against drug crimes and evils, creating a solid "shield" and "border belt" clean of drugs to prevent and effectively fight against drug crimes and evils, determined not to let Nghe An border area become a drug transit area. At the same time, creating a "green zone" is the first checkpoint, which has decisive significance in realizing the strategic goal of removing Nghe An from the list of key and complicated drug areas of the whole country.
To implement the objectives of the Project, the People's Committee of Nghe An province requires mobilizing the combined strength of Party committees, authorities at all levels, the political system and all people in border communes to participate in the work of preventing and combating crimes and drug abuse; synchronously and drastically deploy solutions to fight crimes, eradicate complex hotspots, drug retail points, strengthen drug rehabilitation, post-rehabilitation management, and community reintegration work, not allowing new complicated situations to arise; determined to strive to build 27 drug-free border communes in 2022 and maintain and improve one step further in the following years.
The scope of the Project is implemented in 27 border communes in 6 border districts including: Nam Can, Ta Ca, Bac Ly, My Ly, Na Loi, Dooc May, Keng Du, Muong Tip, Muong Ai, Na Ngoi, Nam Can (Ky Son district); Tam Quang, Tam Hop, Nhon Mai, Mai Son (Tuong Duong district); Mon Son, Chau Khe (Con Cuong district); Thong Thu, Hanh Dich, Tri Le, Nam Giai (Que Phong district); Phuc Son (Anh Son district); Hanh Lam, Thanh Thuy, Thanh Duc, Thanh Son, Ngoc Lam (Thanh Chuong district). The Project is implemented from April 15, 2022 to the end of 2022.
Immediately after the Project was issued, the Provincial Police announced the decision to mobilize 25 officers to reinforce border communes for a period of 1 year; hand over 27 pickup trucks provided by the Ministry of Public Security to the Police of 27 border communes; assign and assign tasks to 12 units and localities that have established a sister relationship with the People's Committees of 12 difficult border communes to coordinate and support in the implementation of the Project.
Accordingly, the police of units and localities have effectively deployed propaganda solutions in 27 border communes; Well organized social security work, supported difficult border communes to serve the implementation of the Project, especially paying attention to drug-related subjects returning to reintegrate into the community. Thereby, donated equipment, supported facilities, funding and support gifts to people in border communes with a total value of more than 700 million VND. In addition, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 2209 dated July 29, 2022 on assigning provincial departments and branches to support and help 22 mountainous and border communes with special difficulties. Thereby, promoting socio-economic development, improving the lives of people in mountainous communes, contributing to the effective implementation of the Project.
Immediately after the Conference to disseminate and deploy the Project, Nghe An Provincial Police simultaneously launched a campaign to destroy a series of complex drug dens in border districts, arresting dozens of subjects and a large amount of evidence including weapons and drugs of all kinds.
Typically, in the early morning of April 20, 2022, the Provincial Police mobilized functional units to approach and simultaneously attack 12 complex drug dens in the areas of Pa Khom, Tam Hop (Tri Le commune), Thanh Phong 2, Na Cong (Muong Noc commune) and Kim Khe (Chau Kim commune), Que Phong district. Thereby, promptly arrested and controlled 12 subjects, seized 19 packages of heroin, opium and opium resin along with 7 guns and swords of various types. These are subjects who take advantage of the population characteristics and terrain of the border area to commit drug crimes, regularly conduct transactions, buy and sell as well as concentrate on drug use, causing outrage among the masses.
In the fight against drugs at the border, the anti-drug force must operate in extremely difficult and arduous conditions, facing many dangers. Because some Vietnamese people collude and connect with some Lao people to form illegal drug trafficking lines in large quantities with sophisticated, reckless and daring nature, methods and tricks. In particular, drug criminals are always ready to use "hot" weapons to fight back when discovered and arrested.
Typically, at 7:30 p.m. on May 30, 2022, the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department, the Provincial Police coordinated with Que Phong District Police to arrest two Mong ethnic people red-handed while transporting drugs for sale. During the arrest, the subjects fought back fiercely, using a K59 gun to shoot a Que Phong District Police officer, injuring him in the left thigh. However, with a brave spirit and determination to suppress crime, the authorities successfully controlled and arrested the two subjects. The seized evidence included 15 heroin cakes, 1 gun, and 7 bullets.
After 6 months of implementing the Project, with high determination, drastic, creative and flexible implementation of professional measures, effectively attacking and suppressing drug crimes, the Police of 6 border districts discovered and arrested 83 cases, 96 drug criminals in border communes, confiscated nearly 15 kg of various drugs, 50 guns, knives, swords and many other related exhibits. Of which, 1 drug den, 3 complex points and 28 drug retail points in border communes were successfully eliminated.
In addition, through the fight against special projects and cases, eliminating drug-related hotspots, complex points, drug lines, and criminals in border communes, the police of units and localities have arrested 9 cases, 21 subjects, eliminated 1 hotspot, 6 complex points, and 5 drug retail points in key drug-related communes in 6 border districts; seized more than 4kg of various types of drugs and many other related exhibits.
In parallel with the work of fighting to eradicate and arrest drug-related subjects, Nghe An Provincial Police signed Coordination Regulation No. 02 with the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee and the Provincial Ethnic Committee in ensuring security and order associated with socio-economic development in the land border areas, mountainous and ethnic areas in Nghe An province to effectively implement the Project to build "Drug-free border communes", gradually expand the Project and strive to build "Drug-free border, mountainous and ethnic districts".
