Busting a 600kg marijuana drug ring on cyberspace

On June 22, Quang Ninh Provincial Police announced that they had just prosecuted and arrested 26 subjects in a ring that bought, sold, and transported an especially large quantity of marijuana.

Previously, the Provincial Police coordinated with the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department of the Ministry of Public Security and police of provinces and cities to fight and destroy a nationwide marijuana drug trafficking ring on cyberspace.

This line is led by Nguyen Phi Co (born 1995, residing in Ward 14, District 6, HCMC).

Specifically, these subjects took advantage of cyberspace to contact, connect, buy and sell marijuana from the South to Hanoi and then bring it to other provinces and cities for consumption.

These subjects packaged and hid drugs in objects, parcels, and mail and sent them by air to avoid detection by authorities.

After a period of fighting the special case, from June 11, 2024 to March 11, 2025, the police force prosecuted, arrested, and criminally prosecuted 26 subjects for the crime of buying, selling, and illegally storing drugs in provinces and cities from the South to the North.

Quang Ninh Provincial Police have proven that the subjects bought, sold, and consumed a total of 600kg of marijuana; seized evidence of 146kg of marijuana, 7.5 billion VND, 2 cars, and many related evidences.

Lieutenant Colonel Vu Huy Binh, Department of Drug Crime Investigation of the Provincial Police, said that the origin of the marijuana was verified to be from Southeast Asia.

"The subjects transported drugs via air routes and the border between Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia to Vietnam for consumption. The investigation is being expanded by the authorities," said Lieutenant Colonel Vu Huy Binh.

Arrest of a subject transporting a large quantity of suspected drugs from Laos to Vietnam

On the same day, authorities said they had arrested Thai Van Be (born in 1995, residing in Vinh Phu 7 village, My Tai commune, Phu My district, Binh Dinh province) who was transporting a large quantity of suspected drugs when entering Bo Y International Border Gate (Kon Tum).

Confiscated evidence included more than 4,200 yellow and blue tablets with a total weight of about 1.97 kg; 93 blue plastic liquid packages of about 1.6 liters; 2 transparent plastic bags containing a white crystalline solid inside, with a total weight of about 10 grams.

Initially, Be confessed that the above evidence belonged to an unidentified man whom he met online. He transported it from Laos to Vietnam for a fee of 10 million VND.

The authorities agreed to transfer all evidence and suspect Thai Van Be to the Bo Y International Border Guard Station for further investigation and handling according to regulations.