Anti-drugs is the urgent and key task

	Customs successfully closed two specialized projects, seized 218 bars of heroin
	Seize 15 kg of meth transporting from Laos to Vietnam
	Border Defense force: Solve the special project and seize 60 bars of heroin and 40,000 tablets of synthetic narcotic

The conference. Photo: Q.H

It was is one of the key tasks being discussed at the conference on summarizing the action month of prevention and fight against drugs and deploying the Directive of Director General of Vietnam Customs on strengthening the control of prevention and fight against drugs held by Quang Ninh province on 8th and 9th August 2018. The conference was attended by 115 representatives from departments under the General Department of Vietnam Customs and 15 provincial and municipal Customs Departments in the North.

Increasing risks

The report on the prevention and fight against drugs by the Customs sector in the first half of 2018 states that through basic investigation and understanding of the situation, the Anti-drug Enforcement Teams and Customs Enforcement Teams under the General Department of Vietnam Customs and provincial and municipal Customs Branches and Departments promptly detected and seized many cases of trafficking and transportation of drugs across border gates. The number of these cases detected and arrested by the Customs is increasing in the North- Central- South borders with the highest volumes ever.

In order to obtain these achievements, the Customs authorities at all levels have taken the initiative in preventing, detecting and arresting drug criminals through the Customs procedure line, patrolling, controlling and developing many specialized cases to effectively fight in the Customs operation area. The departments have obtained great achievements in this work, such as by the Anti-smuggling and Investigation Department under the General Department of Vietnam Customs, provincial and municipal Customs Departments, including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Quang Ninh, Ha Nam Ninh, Dien Bien, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, and Quang Tri.

At the conference, the Director of the Anti-smuggling and Investigation Department Nguyen Phi Hung emphasized that the prevention and fight against drugs by the Customs sector achieved positive results in detecting, arresting and collaborating to break many transnational drug-smuggling rings and organizations.

Although achieving positive results, the Director of the Anti-smuggling and Investigation Department frankly admitted that through specialized measures, the risk of smuggling drugs from abroad into Vietnam is increasing and taking place on a large scale. Besides, the implementation of Customs policies and regulations at border gates, the prevention and fight against drugs is the key task of the Customs sectors. However, this task has also posed many challenges for Customs.

The exchange activities across border gates for exit and entry passengers, luggage, goods temporarily imported for re-export, and goods in transit are increasing. In addition, the international integration requires the Customs to reform and modernize under the direction of the Government more and more stringently to facilitate using simple and convenient procedures. Thus, there is a conflict between facilitation and control, and detection, prevention, arresting, and handling with the trafficking and transportation of banned goods in Customs management, in which, transnational drug crimes are increasingly fierce, sophisticated and reckless.

Mr. Nguyen Phi Hung said that the prevention and fight against drugs in the Customs sector is facing risks and challenges. As a result of prevention and the requirements with the integration of innovation, it needs to have a drastic change of direction in the prevention and fight against drugs; the Director General of Vietnam Customs issued a Directive on strengthening the prevention and fight against drugs in the Customs management area.

Experience in anti-drug coordination

The results from drug seizures in the prevention and fight against drugs by the Customs over the past time have been greatly contributed by the coordination between the internal and external forces, creating a synergy that has spread through society. In addition, the Customs forces have also taken the initiative in international cooperation in exchanging information, contributing to the effective implementation of this task.

The Deputy Director of Anti-Smuggling and Investigation, Nguyen Van Lich, mentioned many experiences in prevention and fight against drugs. The successful dissolution of many large specialized cases has required that leaders of Customs units at all levels need to closely direct for the prevention and fight against drugs.

In addition, the number of illegal trafficking and transportation of drugs is increasing; the operation of drug crimes is increasingly reckless, meanwhile the competent forces are still limited, so that the Customs force at all levels needs to closely coordinate with competent forces such as Police, Border guard and Coast Guard in prevention and fight against drugs. Moreover, strengthening and thoroughly exploiting information through international cooperation, taking the initiative in multilateral and bilateral customs cooperation on drug control.

Agreeing with this opinion, representatives from provincial and municipal localities provided many specific examples in coordination and information exchange in preventing and combating drugs.

For example, the representative from Quang Ninh Customs Department provided an example in information exchange.

The war against drugs at the “hot” border region VCN - Ecstasy, heroin,… drugs are still a hot issue at the border region of Vietnam – ...

Specifically, as per information provided from the Chinese Competent Authorities, on 12nd July, at Tung Dien Traffic Control Station, Km 62+500 (Minh Khai Village, Chi Lang Town, Lang Son Province), the Anti-drug Enforcement Team under Quang Ninh Customs Department chaired and coordinated with Lang Son Police and arrested 2 perpetrators trafficking 10 bars of heroine (weighting 3.5 kg).

Currently, cases have been transferred to the Police Division for Drugs Investigation (Quang Ninh police) and Police Division for Drugs Investigation (Lang Son Police) for investigation and handling in accordance with their competency.