Initial statements of the subjects in the arrest of 700kg of crystal meth in Nghe An

Video clip of authorities seizing 700kg of crystal meth in Nghe An

(Baonghean.vn) - After arresting 3 subjects and 23 sacks containing crystal meth, authorities discovered a warehouse containing 50 loudspeakers used to store drugs.

Overview of the arrest of 3 subjects, 700 kg of crystal meth in a transnational drug ring

(Baonghean.vn) - 3 subjects have been arrested, 2 subjects are on the run. Police seized 700 kg of crystal meth and 50 loudspeakers. This is the initial result of a project established by Nghe An Police to combat transnational drug trafficking.

Colonel Nguyen Manh Hung - Deputy Director of Nghe An Provincial Police (far left) was present to direct the task force right after seizing 700 kg of crystal meth. Photo: Xuan Bac

At the same time, the police agency summoned two related subjects to work: Nguyen Duc But (born in 1991, residing in Nghi Kim commune, Vinh city) and Nguyen Thi Tam (born in 1977, residing in Quynh Hong commune, Quynh Luu district).

After a period of investigation and intense mental battle, the subjects began to confess their crimes.

Specifically, during his time working in Taiwan (from 2013 to 2017), Nguyen Van Phu met a man named Quang (currently working in Taiwan). In July 2017, after his working term expired, Phu returned to Vietnam to live and do business.

In early 2019, Quang called Phu and asked him to be an interpreter for some Taiwanese people who came to Vietnam to travel and work, and Phu agreed. In early March 2019, some Taiwanese people came to Vietnam and asked Phu to help them find a warehouse to rent for cars and goods in Quynh Luu district, Nghe An.

Phu found and rented a warehouse from Ms. Nguyen Thi Tam (born in 1977, residing in Hamlet 1, Quynh Hong Commune, Quynh Luu District). By early April 2019, Phu had received 25 yellow cardboard boxes from a Lao-licensed cargo truck and stored them in the rented warehouse.

Authorities take samples to test the seized drugs. Photo: Trong Tuan

A few days later, a Taiwanese national called Phu to tell him about the defective shipment and sent someone to fix it. Then, three Taiwanese nationals, Lin Sheng Hsiun (born in 1976; Lin Kun Jund (born in 1978) and Ho Yu-Hsiang (born in 1998), came to meet Phu to fix the said shipment.

When Phu opened the cardboard boxes, he saw a total of 50 black portable speakers. Then only 2 Taiwanese people closed the warehouse door and worked inside.

At noon on April 15, Phu and a Taiwanese stayed at the Muong Thanh Song Lam Hotel. In the evening of the same day, Phu learned through the press that in Vinh City, the police had just arrested a large quantity of drugs hidden in speakers, similar to the speakers at the warehouse Phu had rented. Phu informed a Taiwanese person of the information, but the person said that the drugs had been exposed and Phu had to throw them away.

A few days later, Phu called his friend Nguyen Bao Trung to ask for help finding a truck to transport goods. Trung asked his friend Nguyen Duc But to take Phu and Trung to Vo Sy Manh's house to hire Manh to take But, Phu and Trung to the warehouse to transport goods.

When arriving at the warehouse, Phu told Trung to pull the white sacks from inside the warehouse outside, then Phu directly loaded the sacks onto the truck, Manh got on the truck to help load the goods, and But did not participate in loading the goods.

Crystal meth was disguised as yellow tea bags. Photo: Xuan Bac

Early in the morning of April 16, after loading the sacks onto the truck, the subjects moved on National Highway 48B to leave Nghe An province. However, because they suspected the presence of police, the subjects dumped the goods in the salt fields of Quynh Thuan commune, Quynh Luu district.

In this case, Nguyen Van Phu played the role of the ringleader and mastermind in the transportation and disposal of 700 kg of crystal meth. Nguyen Bao Trung confessed that he knew the goods that Phu was transporting were drugs since arriving at the warehouse, because Trung saw cardboard boxes, speakers, and white sacks similar to the drugs seized in Vinh City, but Trung did not say anything and still agreed to help Phu.

As for Vo Sy Manh, after transporting the goods for Phu, Manh suspected that the goods were contraband, so he called Nguyen Van Phu to threaten him and demanded that Phu transfer 9 million VND to Manh. Phu was afraid so he agreed to transfer the money to Manh.

For the three Taiwanese men who left Vietnam on April 15 and 16, 2019, the police are currently internationally wanted.

50 speakers used by the subjects to hide crystal meth. Photo: Trong Tuan

Previously, during a peak period of fighting drug crimes along the Vietnam-Laos border in the three provinces of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, and Ha Tinh, through situation control, Nghe An Provincial Police discovered a drug trafficking and transportation ring led by a foreigner, colluding with a number of Vietnamese people to rent a warehouse, gather drugs hidden in goods, then transit through Nghe An province to bring them to a third country for consumption.

Faced with the above situation, the leaders of Nghe An Provincial Police directed the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department (PC04) and Quynh Luu District Police to establish Project 319MT to focus on fighting and destroying.

On the morning of April 17, 2019, while the Task Force was applying synchronous measures to combat the drug, it received information that the subjects in the task force were transporting drugs to disperse.

At the salt fields in Quynh Thuan commune, Quynh Luu district, authorities discovered and seized 23 white sacks containing 700 kg of crystal meth.

Expanding the investigation, the Task Force seized 50 sets of speakers, 1 electronic scale, and 1 truck from the warehouse of Ms. Nguyen Thi Tam (born in 1977, in Quynh Hong commune, Quynh Luu). The police arrested 3 subjects and summoned 2 related subjects for questioning.

The case is currently under investigation and expansion.

Duc Vu