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(Baonghean) - Implementing Plan No. 263/KH-UBND-NC dated May 11, 2015 of the Provincial People's Committee and Official Letter No. 699/CAT-PV11 of the Provincial Police on responding to the month of action against drug abuse and the International Day - National Day for Drug Prevention and Control (June 26), officers and soldiers of Vinh City Police have achieved further successes...

Among the successes in the fight against drug-related crimes, the people of Vinh City often mention the city police's operation to arrest Pham Thi Tuan Anh (aka Mai Con) at her home in Hamlet 19, Nghi Phu Commune on June 24th.

Information regarding Mai Con's potential involvement in illegal drug trafficking reached the Vinh City Police's Drug Crime Investigation Team in April 2015. In fact, the officers of the Drug Crime Investigation Team were not unfamiliar with this individual. She had a close relationship with Nguyen Van Hung (also known as Hung Lang), residing in Block 4, Le Loi Ward – an individual arrested by the Vinh City Police in Case 115CS, where 32 blocks of marijuana were seized in February 2015. Based on this initial information, the detectives of the Drug Crime Investigation Team were tasked with verifying and gathering information. After a short period of infiltrating the areas Mai Con frequently visited, they determined that she was colluding with several individuals in Hai Phong and Lang Son, forming a drug trafficking ring primarily dealing in synthetic drugs, methamphetamine, and ecstasy. The drugs were brought to Nghe An by individuals from Hai Phong and Lang Son provinces for Mai Con. She was responsible for organizing the distribution of the drugs to provinces such as Ha Tinh and Quang Binh.

The amount of methamphetamine that Dinh Van Tai hid inside his organ (left) and the evidence seized after Tai's arrest (photo taken from the investigation file of Vinh City Police).

Based on initial investigations and verifications, determining this to be a complex case, the Vinh City Police established Special Case No. 615TL to investigate and clarify the matter. The core team was the Anti-Drug Investigation Police Unit, led by Colonel Mai Chien Thang, Deputy Head of the City Police Investigation Agency. Twelve police officers, divided into three task forces, launched multiple operations, with the key task being to closely monitor Mai Con's activities. As a suspect with a prior criminal record, Mai Con was extremely cunning and did not organize the illegal distribution of drugs within Nghe An province. Therefore, the city police task forces had to travel to Hai Phong, Lang Son, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, and other areas to gather information. After two months of relentless investigation, on June 6th, the detectives obtained information that Mai Con was hiding a large quantity of drugs at his private residence and preparing to transport them to Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces for distribution. The special task force held a meeting to plan the operation. Determining that the time was ripe for the raid, they assigned the detectives to continue monitoring Mai Con's every move at his home.

At 3 PM on June 24th, as Mai Con was preparing to distribute the drugs, the order to crack down was issued. Three task forces raided the location and arrested her along with evidence including 1,000 ecstasy pills, 264g of methamphetamine, 50g of ketamine, an RG88 handgun, 350 million VND, and four mobile phones. Before the investigating police, Pham Thi Tuan Anh, also known as Mai Con, confessed to regularly traveling to Hanoi to bring drugs back to Vinh City. From there, she organized distribution to her network of accomplices who supplied them to individuals in nightclubs, hotels, karaoke establishments, etc. Due to the complex nature of the case, involving several provinces and cities nationwide, the Vinh City Police determined that the case 615TL was not yet closed and continued to expand the investigation.

According to Captain Le Van Son, Deputy Head of the Drug Crime Investigation Team of Vinh City Police, in implementing Plan No. 263/KH-UBND-NC dated May 11, 2015, of the Provincial People's Committee and Official Letter No. 699/CAT-PV11 of the Provincial Police on responding to the Month of Action against Drugs and the International Day - National Day for Drug Prevention and Control, Vinh City Police have detected and arrested 44 cases involving 46 individuals for illegal buying, selling, and possession of narcotics (including: 36 cases involving the crime of illegal drug trafficking; 8 cases involving 6 individuals for illegal possession of narcotics), seizing: 5.253g of heroin; 283.53g of methamphetamine; 6.8g of cannabis; 1,700 synthetic drug pills; 50g of Ketamine; 1 RG88 handgun; and 350 million VND. 21 mobile phones and other evidence were seized. Two major cases were successfully investigated and solved, resulting in the arrest of three suspects and the dismantling of 17 drug retail points; one wanted suspect for drug trafficking was also apprehended.

On July 7th, the city police successfully dismantled a transnational drug trafficking ring. This case involved Dinh Van Tai (born in 1972), residing in Hoang Dong commune, Lang Son city. Dinh Van Tai is of the Tay ethnic group but rented a house and lived in Hamlet 12, Nghi Kim commune (Vinh city). There, he collaborated with several individuals in Vinh city, Thanh Chuong district, and Ho Chi Minh City to form a network for the illegal transportation and distribution of narcotics. To break up this drug ring, the city police established Special Case 515D in March 2015. The investigation was arduous because the drugs were sourced from China, while distribution took place in Ho Chi Minh City. When arrested, Dinh Van Tai had just returned from Lang Son to Vinh City, near the Nghi Kim commune overpass, with methamphetamine hidden inside an organ, disguised as bags of fruit. In this case, besides Dinh Van Tai, the city police also arrested Nguyen Van Nam (born 1969) and Lam Van Thang (born 1967), both from Thanh Chuong district. The seized evidence included 1 kg of methamphetamine; a Camry car; 1,600 USD and 700 million VND. The case is still under investigation by the Vinh City Police Department...

According to the city's police leadership, with the results achieved during the peak month of combating drug-related crimes, from the beginning of 2015 to the present, the city police have focused on combating and arresting 176 cases involving 193 individuals for buying, selling, and possessing narcotics; seizing 117.348g of heroin; 304.945g of methamphetamine; 1,405 ecstasy pills; 55 MDMA pills; 35.157 kg of cannabis; 32 mobile phones, 3 electronic scales... Among these, they established and dismantled 5 major cases, arresting 12 suspects; and eradicated 42 long-standing drug retail points that had caused public concern.

Ha Giang