Lesson 5: Special projects on friendship

(Baonghean) - In the fight against drug crimes along the 419 km border of the province, it is necessary to mention the professional expertise and close coordination and friendship between the reconnaissance force of Nghe An Border Guard and the Laotian Police.

In mid-May 2013, the Border Guard Drug Prevention Force (BPDPCMT) of Nghe An arrested a Laotian man carrying 6,000 synthetic drug pills on his way to Vietnam for sale. Expanding the case, the Border Guard Drug Prevention Force of Nghe An discovered many important links from the other side of the border. Experienced detectives were sent to the neighboring country to survey and monitor all movements of the subjects in the ring. It was found that the subjects in the ring were mainly Mong people, with registered residences close to the Vietnam-Laos border and were very familiar with the terrain. This ring was tightly organized, with many sophisticated and reckless tricks and methods, and used "hot" weapons and many means of transport such as cars, motorbikes, and sometimes went through the forest to trade "goods", so the monitoring and ambush work encountered many difficulties.

The joint task force (between Vietnam and Laos) implemented a plan to solve the case. Photo: Archive

Despite the complex mountainous terrain on the other side, the reconnaissance force still persevered, there were days when they went hungry, thirsty, and endured mosquito bites under dry leaves to camouflage themselves and lie still to monitor the subject. With determination and high spirit, from the information collected, Nghe An Border Guard coordinated with Xieng Khouang Provincial Police to establish a Special Task Force with code number 330L-V to fight and solve the case. This is a remote, mountainous area, a favorable location for them to exchange and illegally trade drugs. Among the two "bosses", the most prominent subject is Tong Lo, with many years of experience in trading and transporting drugs from the Golden Triangle area. During the day, he is a person who often sells wild boar meat at Noong Het market, but at night he becomes a "dealer" supplying drugs to addicts and those in need of using drugs, ready to supply drugs in large quantities when requested. Through monitoring, it was also found that the amount of drugs hidden and traded by Tong Lo was very large.

Grasping the activities of the two subjects, on June 11, 2014, realizing a favorable opportunity to solve the case when the subjects brought a large amount of drugs to the transaction. Both subjects brought "goods" and "hot" weapons when going to the transaction. When passing through Muong Tip commune, Ky Son district, the subjects hid guns on the road and then went to the pre-arranged transaction location. Realizing that fighting the case in the forest would be very dangerous and that it might be impossible to catch the subjects because they were very familiar with the terrain and climbing hills and mountains was their advantage. After careful calculation, the plan of "luring the snake out of the cave" to ensure absolute safety was chosen by the Task Force. At about 10:30 a.m. on June 11, 2014, in Noong Het town, Xieng Khouang province (Laos), the Drug Crime Prevention Force of Nghe An Provincial Border Guard, Nam Can International Border Guard Station and Muong Tip Border Guard Station coordinated with Xieng Khouang Provincial Police (Laos) to intercept and arrest two subjects, Tong Lo and Lau Lo, while they were delivering drugs. The subjects were extremely aggressive and tried to fight back fiercely to escape, but they were restrained and arrested by Border Guard soldiers. In the chaos, the subjects who bought drugs from Lau Lo and Tong Lo fled into the forest to escape. At the scene, 20 heroin cakes; 5,000 synthetic drug pills; 1 car, 1 motorbike and many other related exhibits were seized. The subjects confessed that they had many times brought drugs from Laos to Vietnam for consumption...

The subject and the evidence in Projects 331LV and 332LV. (Photo provided by Nghe An Border Guard)

Through surveys, reconnaissance teams of the Border Guard Drug Crime Prevention Force (PCTPMT BDBP) of Nghe An in coordination with the Laotian Police force identified large transnational drug trafficking and transportation lines from Thailand and Laos to Vietnam. Special projects codenamed LV were jointly fought and destroyed.

Also on those scorching hot days, experienced detectives were sent to the neighboring country to investigate and collect information showing that two drug trafficking rings from Sam To district, Hua Phan province (Laos) bordering Que Phong district (Nghe An) gathered near the border villages led by Chan Thong Lo Chay Ho, 35 years old, residing in Nam Tay village, Vieng Phan village cluster, Sam To district, Hua Phan province and a specialized transportation ring from Vieng Xay, Sam Neua district, Hua Phan province led by Ly Phenh Mua, 28 years old and his accomplices residing in Na Cay village, Vieng Xay town, Vieng Xay district, Hua Phan province to the center of Sam To district, then linked up with other subjects to transport drugs across the border to Vietnam for consumption. Realizing that these were professional, aggressive, and tightly organized lines of activity involving state officials in Hua Phan province, two projects with code numbers 331 LV and 332 LV were approved by the Standing Committee of the Party Committee of the Nghe An Border Guard Command and approved by the Border Guard Command.

Identifying these as special cases related to subjects in the two border districts of Que Phong and Sam To, Hua Phan province (Laos), it is necessary to fully implement the procedures in accordance with the direction of the Border Guard Command, the guidance of the Anti-Terrorism Department and the Memorandum of Understanding between the Nghe An Border Guard Command and the Hua Phan Provincial Police. On May 7, 2014, the Anti-Terrorism Department of the Nghe An Border Guard and the Sam To District Police, Hua Phan province (Laos), agreed to deploy a plan to crack the case according to the motto of hitting wherever it is safe, ensuring absolute safety and hitting from the border area to the district center. Therefore, in the process of implementing the plan to crack the case, the Steering Committee of the special case must synchronously carry out professional measures, use many forces, deploy many reconnaissance missions to the outskirts, simultaneously in all directions and points to carry out the task, but still ensure secrecy according to the requirements of the Steering Committee of the special case.

In the early days of May 2014, the sun was scorching hot, the Lao wind was scorching hot, but the task force of the Anti-Terrorism Department and Thong Thu Border Guard Station still quietly crossed the forest to the neighboring country. Realizing that the opportunity was ripe, Project 331 LV was ordered to crack the case. At 10:25 a.m. on May 9, the subject brought the "goods" to a low stilt house on the mountainside in the Ba Puc area, Nam Tay village, Sam To district. Receiving the signal, the undercover forces of the two countries of Vietnam and Laos closed the siege and simultaneously raided the house, arresting the subject Chan-Thong Lo Chay Ho, 35 years old, along with the following evidence: 16 heroin cakes (weighing 5.3 kg), 170 synthetic drug pills, 10 grams of opium, 1 CKC gun, 20 bullets; 1 flintlock gun, 5 taels of gold, 350 USD, 1 silver bar, 2 silver necklaces and 167,260,000 VND.

Then, on May 10, the reconnaissance force continued to receive information that the drug traffickers and transporters in Project 332 LV were planning to transport a large amount of "goods" to sell by car. To carry out the plan to crack the case, the Nghe An Border Guard reconnaissance force continued to coordinate with the Laotian Police force to lie in ambush. In order to deceive the authorities, the subjects in this ring chose the dark night to transport the "goods". All their movements were closely monitored by the reconnaissance force. At 22:05, May 10, 2014, at Phan Xa Van village, Sam To district, Hua Phan province, the Nghe An Border Guard crime-fighting force coordinated with the Sam To district Police to lie in ambush and arrest the subjects: Thao De Ho, 19 years old, residing in Phu Xay village, Vieng Xay town, Vieng Xay district, Hua Phan province; Thao Xong Vu, 30 years old and Thao Ly Phenh Mua, 28 years old, both permanent residents of Na Cay village, Vieng Xay town, Vieng Xay district, Hua Phan province (Laos). The seized evidence included: 18 heroin cakes (weighing 7kg); 2,000 synthetic drug pills, 200 USD, 1 pickup truck and 1 mobile phone.

Among the many successful cases that Nghe An Border Guard forces coordinated with Lao authorities, there was an outstanding achievement in just 2 days from May 9 to 10, 2014, the PCTPMT force and Thong Thu Border Guard Station, Nghe An Border Guard coordinated with Sam To District Police, Hua Phan Province to fight and destroy 2 of the largest drug trafficking rings ever in Sam To District, which were being transported to Vietnam for consumption; arrested 6 subjects; seized 34 heroin cakes (13kg); 2,170 synthetic drug pills; 10 grams of opium; 1 CKC gun; 20 bullets; 1 flintlock gun with 40 bullets, 5 taels of gold, 550 USD, 1 silver bar, 2 silver necklaces and 167,260,000 VND, 2 cars.

The successful conclusion of the two special projects "331 LV" and "332 LV" affirms the smooth and effective coordination between the Nghe An Border Guard and the Hua Phan Provincial Police in particular, and the Vietnam Border Guard and the Lao Police in general in the fierce fight against cross-border drug crimes. Through the fight to solve the cases, the special friendship between Vietnam and Laos is further strengthened...

(To be continued)

Son Tu Phuoc