Ho Chi Minh City Customs proactively coordinates to prevent drugs from entering the border gate

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The trick of hiding drugs in comic book covers was discovered by the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department. Photo: T.T

Many new drugs appear

According to Ho Chi Minh City Police, recently, drug crimes have become complicated, aggressive and dangerous; especially increasing on air routes from Europe and South America to Vietnam. The gangs divided the drugs and rented apartments as places to hide and store them. Some types of synthetic drugs of European origin are transported by air by overseas subjects to Tan Son Nhat and Noi Bai international airport.

According to Ho Chi Minh City Police, from Tan Son Nhat International Border Gate Customs Sub-department, 4 flight attendants were found to be carrying more than 11 kg of drugs from France to Vietnam on March 16, 2023. Until now, the authorities have expanded the investigation and prosecuted over 200 related subjects.

Also according to Ho Chi Minh City Police, drug criminals continue to bring to the market many new types of drugs that are not included in the International Convention in order to legalize trading and transportation activities. Criminals use drugs disguised and "hidden" in two forms: goods (cakes, candy, functional foods, pharmaceuticals, etc) contain narcotics that are produced and packaged legally or drugs that are mixed, marinated, packaged in the form of food, drinks, herbs, electronic cigarettes, etc. If people accidentally use these mixed and marinated goods or foods, they are very easy to be poisoned, even life-threatening.

Subjects processing and producing new drugs that are not on the list of prohibited mixing or marinating in e-cigarette solutions (e-cigarette ingredients contain nicotine-an addictive substance that can affect bad for children's brain development, affecting pregnant women and children's development). Subjects use e-cigarettes to do business, trade, and entice people to use them illegally. New drug substances include: 1eP-LDS, 2-FMA, 3-FEA, 3-MMC, MDMB-4en-PINACA, ADB-BUTINACA, 4F-MDMB-BUTICA, 4F-ABUTINACA. The harmful effects of this drug cause hallucinations, convulsions, coma, and even death for the user.

Focusing on drug prevention and combat, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department has developed and implemented many plans and specialized combat projects and has prevented dozens of violations. In the first 9 months of 2023, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department discovered and prevented 27 violations, confiscated over 62 kg of drugs of all kinds, and coordinated to arrest of 12 subjects with foreign nationality transporting drugs. Notably, from the case that Tan Son Nhat International Border Gate Customs Branch presided over the discovery of 4 flight attendants transporting more than 11 kg of drugs from France to Vietnam on March 16, 2023, until now, the police have expanded the investigation and prosecuted over 200 related subjects.

According to Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department, through the reality of drug cases seized by the unit, it shows that domestic and foreign drug traffickers often collude to form transnational criminal networks and organizations, operating very impulsively, recklessly. Drug criminals carefully research policies to create favorable conditions for businesses and passengers in import-export and immigration activities to take advantage of hiding and transporting drugs illegally with methods and tricks such as: wrongly declaring goods names, declaring Green-channel goods to hide drugs in those goods.

For exported goods, subjects often use social networking sites to contact shipping units and use technology delivery services that are difficult to trace.

Regarding the luggage of passengers on entry and exit, the subjects hid drugs such as pressing drugs into carton covers, comic book covers, photo frames, suitcase edges, double-bottomed suitcases, in products such as toothpaste, etc. They often hire people to transport with nationality from Southeast Asian countries to get visa exemption when entering Vietnam (Laotian and Thai people).

Create synergy to prevent drugs

Ho Chi Minh City is characterized by a densely populated area, with air and sea border gates, which is a key area where organizations and criminal lines choose to transport drugs for consumption and as a transit place to go to a third country. Ho Chi Minh City authorities predict that the crime and drug situation in the area will continue to become complicated in the coming time. Subjects take advantage of logistics companies, postal services, customer luggage, and flight attendants on international flights to Vietnam to transport drugs; taking advantage of social networking sites to buy and sell drugs; Taking advantage of business investment sectors with conditions on security, apartment buildings to buy, sell, store, and organize the illegal use of narcotics.

Speaking at the preliminary conference summarizing 3 years of implementing action program No. 38-CTr/TU dated June 4, 2020 of the Standing Committee of the City Party to implement Directive 36-CT/TW dated August 16, 2019 of Political Bureau on strengthening and improving the effectiveness of drug prevention, combat and control in Ho Chi Minh City which was held last weekend. Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Ho Hai recognized and praised the achievements of Ho Chi Minh City Police, Border Guard and Ho Chi Minh City Customs in recent times. Deputy Secretary of Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Ho Hai requested that the forces need to organize well the work of grasping the situation, focusing on fighting and suppressing drug crimes; Prevent drug criminals from taking advantage of the city as a place to produce, store, and transship drugs domestically and internationally.

Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee also requested that the forces need to organize well the work of grasping the situation, focusing on fighting and suppressing drug crimes, especially in border gate areas, at sea, on key routes and localities; Strengthen international cooperation on drug prevention and combat; Effectively implement programs, agreements, and memoranda of understanding on drug prevention and combat; Support the verification and arrest of active drug offenders and internationally wanted individuals on the run to proactively prevent drug crimes early and from afar.

To improve the effectiveness of state management and fight against drug-related crimes, Ho Chi Minh City Police, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department and Ho Chi Minh City Border Guard have signed a coordination regulation between the three units. The signing of the regulations creates a mechanism for smooth coordination, promoting synergy, support, and creating favorable conditions to successfully complete assigned tasks.