Village chief leads drug trafficking ring from Laos to Nghe An

The perfect cover of the village chief

According to the police investigation documents, since the end of 2018, the Ky Son District Police detectives discovered a large drug trafficking and illegal drug trafficking ring from Laos to Ky Son as a transit area and then smuggled to other provinces and cities for consumption...

During the investigation, verification and collection of documents and evidence, the Task Force discovered that Lau Giong Long was the key figure and leader of this network. Notably, Lau Giong Long is currently the Chief of Huoi Thang village, Huoi Tu commune.

The couple, village chief Lau Giong Long and Ho Y Co, with the evidence. Photo: Bao Nguyen

Under the guise of a village chief who diligently farmed and strictly followed the regulations of the Party Committee and the government, Lau Giong Long gained the trust of the villagers. In particular, he also recruited his wife, Ho Y Co (born in 1975), to help. Because Ho Y Co was a Laotian who was familiar with the terrain and had a wide network of acquaintances, he easily connected with the most important drug dealers in Laos.

With their cunning and cunning nature, this couple never trusts anyone and personally looks for partners to buy the "goods". After agreeing on the price, time and place of the transaction in Vietnam, Lau Giong Long and Ho Y Co will walk, cut through the forest to cross the border to Laos to get drugs in large quantities, then "carry the goods" back to Ky Son. To avoid being detected, Lau Giong Long and his wife often choose a time late at night when there are few people, a location in a deep, remote forest, or a high, dangerous mountain to conduct the transaction.

The fierce tug of war

On April 7, 2019, the Task Force received information that Lau Giong Long and his wife were preparing to trade a large quantity of drugs with a partner. Realizing that the opportunity to solve the case had come, the Task Force immediately held a meeting, agreed on the fight plans, and determined to eradicate this drug ring.

For nearly two days in a row under the intense heat of early summer, with only instant noodles, bread and mineral water to sustain them, despite their clothes being soaked with sweat, the officers and soldiers of Ky Son District Police still persistently "stayed still", sticking to their assigned areas to monitor any movements of the subjects.

Huoi Tu Commune, Ky Son District. Photo: Lu Phu

At around 11:40 p.m. on April 9, 2019, two dark figures carrying backpacks with many suspicious signs appeared in the deep forest area in Huoi Thang village. The Task Force determined that it was none other than Lau Giong Long and his wife who were delivering drugs to a partner. Immediately, the reconnaissance teams of Ky Son District Police coordinated with the Drug Control Team of the Provincial Customs Department to simultaneously rush in to control and arrest them. Due to being surprised, Lau Giong Long and Ho Y Co fought back fiercely, using the sharp knives they carried to stab randomly at the arresting force.

Although the police had disarmed the stubborn couple, due to the steep terrain and close proximity to a deep abyss, during the struggle, Lau Giong Long and his wife tried to cling to Captain Tran The Nghia, Deputy Captain of the Criminal Investigation Police Team on Crimes, Economics, and Drugs (Ky Son District Police) and Lieutenant Le Hai Chuong, an officer of the same team, and then rolled down the abyss.

Location of arrest and evidence. Photo: Google Maps

While rolling down the cliff, despite being hit by tree branches and rocks, and having bloody wounds all over their bodies, with a sense of responsibility and determination to successfully capture this couple, Captain Nghia and Lieutenant Chuong still tried to endure the pain, continuing to struggle fiercely with Lau Giong Long and Ho Y Co. Other scouts were also present in time to successfully knock down and control Lau Giong Long and Ho Y Co.

Checking the backpacks of the subjects, they seized at the scene 2 cakes of heroin and 6,000 synthetic drug pills. Continuing to conduct an emergency search of the private home of Lau Giong Long and his wife, the authorities discovered a black backpack hidden in the bedroom containing 1 cake of heroin and 5 kg of crystal meth.

At the police station, the suspects initially confessed to their illegal acts. The case is currently under further investigation.