Alert on the generic drugs in tablets delivering via the express

The Customs coordinated to arrest 26,700 generic drug tablets through the express in November 2017.

Leaders of the Investigation and Anti- Smuggling Department (the General Department of Customs) said that according to the National Committee for Drug and Prostitution Prevention, Vietnam had about 400,000 drug addicts and people participating in treatment for drug addiction. Vietnam became a transit point, also a market for drug consumption.

In the past, the amount of generic drugs was transported mainly from China into Vietnam. But recently, the Customs forces discovered that the generic meth-drugs had been transported from Laos and Cambodia into Vietnam, and then transported to a third country. It was noteworthy that the generic drugs in tablets have been transported not only from Laos to Vietnam via land border, but also from the developed countries such as Holland and Canada to Vietnam through the express. The objects involved in the transport were mainly Asian, overseas Vietnamese. In fact, the Customs forces discovered the drugs hidden in the goods via the express and the transit goods. The objects were not involved in shipping, even the addresses of recipients and senders did not exist.

According to the Ha Noi Customs Department, in recent years, the situation of purchasing and express delivery is the key point for activities of importing generic drugs, drugs containing narcotic substances, psychotropics, in the form of gifts and presents. Drugs originating from Holland were transported to Vietnam for transshipment to third countries.

Most recently, the Hanoi Customs has coordinated the discovery of two transports, seized over 10 kg of generic drugs in tablets. Typically, on the 14th and 15th of November, 2017, the Drug Control and Prevention Team and the Express Customs Sub-Department (the Ha Noi Customs Department) coordinated with Team 5, the Investigation and Anti-Smuggling Department; Unit 7, the Drug Crime Investigation Bureau (C47 - the Ministry of Public Security) organized the plan of coordinating and smashed successfully the national drug transportation line via post, arrested 3 objects transporting 26,700 generic drug tablets, weighing nearly 8kg. Specifically, through scanning the shipments through express delivery, the Hanoi Drug Prevention and Control Force detected the suspicious signs for the import shipments from the Netherlands to Vietnam. The sender (on the package): Linda; address: Netherlands, postcode: 1012BN. The recipient (on the package): Nguyen Hoang Viet (No. 3, No. 35, Hang Bot, Dong Da ward, Ha Noi, Viet Nam). By examination, the functional forces discovered 9 plastic bags inside the package, the outer form was the bags of coffee but they contained 26,700 generic drug tablets.

According to the leader of the Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department, in order to fight against drug addiction, the Customs forces identified all kinds of the drugs, objects purchasing drugs, drug sources and trick of objects, in order to find the solutions, and set up effective fighting plans. Accordingly, they focused on educating, training, and implementing the uniform guidelines throughout the sector. Specifically, in 2017, the Customs forces organized 6 training courses for the officials and the civil servants in charge of the customs procedures on drug prevention and fight. Accordingly, the Customs forces carrying out the customs procedures at the team level also raised the spirit of vigilance, and fighting with drug crime. At the same time, every official and civil servant in the chain of procedures was well aware that the work of drug prevention and control was not only in charge of drug prevention and control force, but also responsible for the entire customs force.

In order to improve the efficiency of drug prevention and fight, in the coming time, the Customs would continue to focus on catching the situation and collecting information; carry out professional measures in the struggle and arrest; coordinate closely with the domestic and foreign functional forces in the fight against drug abuse. In addition, the Customs forces would coordinate with the licensing agencies, the National Committee for Drug and Prostitution Prevention, to control the import activity and use of pre-chemicals in Industry and Health.