Anti-drug coordination not continuously

Customs, police forces in Ha Tinh jointly arrested a violator transporting three packages of heroin in December 2017. Photo provided by the Ha Tinh Customs Department.

According to the report on the implementation of the Regulation on coordination among the General Department of Police, the General Department of Customs, the Border Guard Command and the Coast Guard Command, in 2017, the whole country detected and arrested 21,471 drug cases/ 32,950 violators, up 14.5% of cases and 13.6% of violators.

On the Vietnam-China border, the situation of drug crimes is complex in two dimensions. Heroin is shipped from overseas to Vietnam, then exporting to China. In contrast, synthetic drugs, pre-substances, addictive drugs from China shipped into Vietnam, even transported through Laos to Vietnam.

As a report, compared to previous years, the amount of narcotics transported from China to Vietnam tends to decrease. However, the situation of drug transportation is still complicated in the Vietnam-Laos border. According to Border Guard data, the number of synthetic drugs seized on this route has increased seven-fold and marijuana has doubled. On the Cambodia-Vietnam border, cocaine is transited from South America to Cambodia and to third countries, including Vietnam.

In addition to the results achieved, Mr. Vu Xuan Vien, Director of the Police Advisory Department (under the Ministry of Public Security), bluntly acknowledged the coordination among the police, border guard, customs, police and other police forces, and local units have not often, continuously, especially the evaluation meeting to draw on experience through specialized projects, cases, special topics.

The efficiency of the anti-drug battle in border areas is limited, partly due to the fact that the information exchange related to drug trafficking has not been continuously, less coordination of specific combat cooperation. On the other hand, the number of troops deployed in key areas remains weak in terms of quality, lack of numbers and lack of combat facilities while the management areas are large.

The Customs forces alone, Deputy head of the Anti-smuggling Department (General Department of Customs) Nguyen Khanh Quang pointed out, over time, the information exchange on the questionable objects in the export and import activities between police agencies and the customs agencies is limited. In a number of cases of violation transferred to the police office by the customs office to verify, the reply is still slow, causing troubles for enterprises.

In many cases, when the customs office requests to supply information, documents and materials serving the investigation, the police in some localities prolonged the supply time, even refused to supply. On the other hand, the process of arresting, handling the illegal purchase, sale, or transportation of narcotics is regulated by the Customs Department regulates that within 24 hours of its discovery, the Department which detects and arrests must complete the procedures for handing over the material evidences and dossiers of the cases to the local police offices (where the cases occur).

However, in fact, there are a number of cases, the handover of the case file to the police is still confused because it not clearly defined the competent police units to receive information, records, exhibits of the drug cases detected and transferred by the customs offices. Difficulty for customs authorities is that they are not competent to prosecute drug trafficking and criminal custody for those who violate the criminal law.

A violator and 22,000 tablets of synthetic drugs was arrested by the Dien Bien Customs forces in coordination with Dien Bien district police in February 2017. (Photo provided by the Customs force).

Mr. Vu Xuan Vien predicts that in the coming time, the situation of drug crimes will continue to be complicated and tended to increase, especially in the border areas of Vietnam - China and Vietnam – Laos and sea and air routes. First of all, leaders of police, customs, border guard and marine police should direct closely, more frequently, especially local units which work in drug prevention and fight in the border areas, border gates, at sea.

Regularly concern and create mechanisms for coordinated relations according to principles and regulations but must ensure the spirit of solidarity, openness and sharing, so that officials and soldiers understand and trust to exchange information and coordinate effectively. Public security forces, border guards and customs will take initiative in elaborating plans and assigning specific tasks to each force in exchanging and providing information and support together to participate in basic inspection by key routes and localities, especially the key drug routes from the "Golden Triangle" area through Laos into Vietnam, establishing and organizing the specialized fighting on drugs, armed groups of drug trafficking.

Together with the struggle to prevent, the forces should take the initiative to grasp the situation to advise local authorities to well propagate and mobilize people, especially ethnic minorities and people in remote areas to aware of the harmful effects of drugs and law enforcement in the fight against drug crimes, not allowing the violators to entice to participate in drug transportation lines.

Mr. Nguyen Khanh Quang suggested the leaders of the General Department of Police to strengthen the coordination relationship between the two forces closely, more specifically. The coordination between the customs forces should be regulated more clearly. In coordination, the forces should do well in forecasting the situation in the world and in the region, while the situation of criminals is unpredictable in order to develop a plan to fight together closely with the reality.

At the same time, focus on setting up common projects to fight effectively, as well as to do the summation and preliminary work, assess and draw on experience; training and improving professional skills, often maintaining of the regime of regular and unexpected meetings. Requesting the General Department of Police to study the regulations on coordination in the work of national and social security protection in the financial sector to put it on the coordination regulation (between the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Public Security). Supplement the coordinated procedure in the exchange of information and unexpected documents into the draft coordination regulations to guide the implementation.