"Hot" reward of 60 million VND for the task force to destroy a large drug ring

(Baonghean.vn) - The Drug Crime Investigation Department, Nghe An Police, has just successfully dismantled a large-scale transnational drug trafficking ring, arresting 2 subjects. The amount of drugs bought and sold by the subjects was up to 60 cakes, the "transaction" amount was billions of dong...Before this outstanding achievement, Nghe An Provincial People's Committee decided to reward the Special Investigation Team with 50 million VND, and the Provincial Police Department awarded 10 million VND.

Comrade Thai Van Hang - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee awarded 50 million VND from the Provincial People's Committee to the Special Investigation Team.

Major General Nguyen Xuan Lam - Director of the Provincial Police Department awarded 10 million VND from the Provincial Police Department to the Special Investigation Team.

The arduous journey of solving the case

At the end of 2013, detectives from the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department of Nghe An Province discovered signs of a huge drug trafficking and transportation ring from Laos into Vietnam, which was then smuggled to China with a very sophisticated operation led by Ho Su Co (born in 1983), residing in Block 13, Ha Huy Tap Ward, Vinh City.

Compared to his “seniors” in the “white goods” trade, Ho Su Co can be considered a “newbie” because of his limited experience. But to the drug investigation police force, Ho Su Co is a “sly fox” because of his cunning and tricks in dealing with the investigation and arrest of the police.

Ho Su Co was originally a trader of “small goods” (wild animals), often going to Laos to trade for a long time, so he was very familiar with the roads and the area. And Co’s cunning and cunning were also “tempered” during this process.

Gradually, when the supply of goods was scarce, business was difficult, and he went bankrupt due to gambling, he changed his "economic strategy", connecting with subjects in Huong Son (Ha Tinh) to set up a drug trafficking line from Laos, through Cha Lo border gate (Quang Binh) to Nghe An and then transporting it to the northern border for consumption. To facilitate drug trafficking and avoid the eyes of those around him, Ho Su Co rented a separate room in Van Tien block, Hung Dung ward (Vinh city).

Determined not to let a large amount of drugs be smuggled into Nghe An, the Drug Crime Investigation Police of Nghe An Police decided to establish Project 366C to dismantle this ring. Many times, the Task Force deployed plans to arrest but failed, because every time it "smelled" danger, Ho Su Co "showed off" his forte of driving in a zigzag manner, completely losing his tail... Therefore, this is something that the soldiers of the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department of Nghe An Police are very concerned about because the New Year is approaching but the leader of the drug trafficking ring, Ho Su Co, is still "at large" outside the law.

Carrying the “debt” of the old year into the new year, even during the Lunar New Year, the detectives did not forget their mission. It was estimated that after Tet, the subjects would have trading transactions, so right from the 7th day of Tet (February 6, 2014), Colonel Nguyen Xuan Thiem - Head of the Drug Crime Investigation Department of Nghe An Police, Head of the special task force, and his colleagues traveled from Vinh City to the mountainous area of ​​Huong Son (Ha Tinh) to grasp all the movements of the subjects in this area.

The weather at this time was not favorable, with continuous drizzle, combined with the dense fog in the mountainous area, causing many difficulties for the police force's investigation. During the day, the detectives had to disguise themselves as frog-catching farmers, and at night, they divided into many groups to take turns closely monitoring the subjects' movements. In the rainy night, the haggard faces due to lack of sleep still strained to follow every small detail because they understood that if they were even a little careless, the efforts of each brother in the Task Force would be wasted. And not in vain, the days of wind and rain, the sleepless nights, the detectives got an important source of information: the subjects in this ring were preparing to transport a huge amount of drugs to Nghe An during this time. Realizing that the opportunity to solve the case had come, the Task Force held a meeting and outlined plans to set out.

"Boss" caught

On the afternoon of February 15, 2014, information from the reconnaissance team in Huong Son reported that Phan Thanh Ton (born in 1989), residing in Son Giang commune, Huong Son district, Ha Tinh - one of the important links in the chain, after going to Laos to buy drugs, drove a motorbike, carrying a suitcase containing 60 heroin cakes from Huong Son along National Highway 8 to Nghi Xuan (Ha Tinh) to deliver to Ho Su Co. At this time, the reconnaissance team tasked with monitoring Ho Su Co's movements also discovered the subject driving a Hyundai car with license plate 30A - 06186 towards Ben Thuy bridge through Ha Tinh to "receive the goods".

With the sharpness of a cunning old fox, Co smelled the insecurity. He drove around Vinh city then drove across Ben Thuy bridge and made many fake moves to lose the tail if there was any. When he felt safe, Co continued to drive to La Giang embankment (Duc Tho, Ha Tinh) to meet Phan Thanh Ton. Here, the two subjects had secretly agreed with each other in advance and staged a traffic collision between the two sides to deliver drugs while arguing.

After receiving the suitcase containing 60 heroin bars from Ton, Co got in the car and returned to Vinh with the intention of going straight to Lang Son to deliver it to the customer. However, that intention was never realized, because when Co's car had just passed the Ben Thuy toll station, a car suddenly blocked the road and in his line of sight, Co saw 5 men jump out of the car, point guns at him and shout loudly: "Ho Su Co, you have been arrested!". At this time, Co knew he had no way to escape, so he trembled as he opened the car door and could only mumble a few words: "I am guilty, I surrender!" At the scene, the police force conducted a search and seized the suitcase containing 60 heroin bars weighing nearly 21kg, a Huyndai car with license plate 30A - 06186, and 2 mobile phones.

Subject Ho Su Co and 60 heroin cakes at the investigation agency

In order to not let other links in the chain escape, the Task Force pursued the hot trail. At 2:00 a.m. on February 17, 2014, in coordination with Traffic Police Team 5-1 (Road and Railway Traffic Police Department, Nghe An Public Security), the Task Force arrested Phan Thanh Ton at Yen Ly intersection (Dien Yen, Dien Chau), confiscating 1 motorbike and 1 cell phone.

Through the initial investigation, the subjects confessed: Through the introduction of an acquaintance, Co approached Phan Thanh Ton. After establishing a relationship, realizing that Ton was a subject who often traveled back and forth to do business and trade in Laos, so he had many "advantages" to buy drugs to transport to Vietnam for consumption, so the two quickly became trusted "partners" and Ton became the source of drug supply for Co.

After months of persistent pursuit, the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department of Nghe An Province Police in coordination with related professional units captured 2 criminals in the above drug ring. The seized evidence included 60 heroin cakes, 1 car, 1 motorbike and 3 mobile phones. The successful discovery of Project 366C demonstrated the determination to fight the case to the end of the Drug Crime Investigation Police Force of Nghe An Police.

In response to this outstanding achievement, the People's Committee of Nghe An province decided to reward the Task Force with 50 million VND, and the Provincial Police Department awarded 10 million VND. This is considered an opening achievement for the fight against drug crimes by the Nghe An Police force in 2014, keeping peace for the people in the first days of the new spring.

Minh Tam– PX15 CANA