Increase in drug-related crimes on Vietnam-Laos Border

	Strengthen fight against drug-related crime in the North Central-Central Highlands
	Launching Operation Mekong Dragon IV
	Drug-related crimes in the first month of 2022 increase 369% to over 4,000 cases

Cau Treo Customs coordinates with Bien Phong Force in arresting a drug-smuggling suspect. Photo L Minh Toan.

Drug prevention and control is a key national task

At the bilateral conference to review the implementation of Memorandum of Understanding between the Vietnamese and Laos Ministries of Public Security on cooperation in drug prevention and control in the first half of the year, Lieutenant General Nguyen Duy Ngoc, Deputy Minister of Public Security, said that in recent years, the drug trafficking between the two countries has become more complicated.

After the Covid-19 pandemic, drug trafficking and transportation rings in the two countries have increased. Criminals are more diverse and reckless. Drug criminals regularly change operation methods, equip themselves with weapons and fight against competent forces when they are detected and arrested.

“The fight against drug-related crime of the two countries is increasingly drastic and difficult, requiring the competent forces of each country to strictly coordinate, grasp situation and implement appropriate solutions to effectively combat these dangerous crimes. The Ministries of Public Securities have determined that coordination in drug prevention and control is key national task,” said Deputy Minister Nguyen Duy Ngoc.

The leader of the Ministry of Public of Security proposes Vietnamese and Lao competent agencies implement solutions such as maintaining and promoting efficiency of the hotline at four levels between the two sides, share information of drug crimes in a timely fashion and facilitate drug prevention and control, especially information related to big and transnational drug-related crime rings, perpetrators and wanted person in the two countries to investigate and arrest them.

The ministry also asks the agencies to collaborate to investigate transnational drug-related crime cases and bust drug rings; coordinate in their use advanced technology, weapons and devices to control and verify drugs for local drug prevention and control forces in 2022 and near future.

Seizing about 200 kg of drugs

Vietnam and Laos have the common border of 2,300 km, crossing 10 border provinces of Vietnam and 10 border provinces of Laos. The two countries are strongly affected by the drug crimes in the "Golden Triangle" area, which is one of the largest drug production centers in the world.

The drugs used in Laos mainly are amphetamine-based synthetic drugs (ATS), heroin, opium, and marijuana. There is a transit area for transporting a large volume of precursors to the "Golden Triangle" area to illegal production of drugs. The Northern Laos Border route is a key route for drug supply into Laos. The Southern Border Gate route is the exit of drugs transported from the Golden Triangle across Laos to a third country.

Many large drug trafficking gangs have colluded with foreigners to illegally ship drugs into Vietnam or transport them to a third country for consumption. Drug criminals on this route operate are very reckless, and use weapons to attack competent forces when they are detected and arrested.

On August 9, 2021 in the capital Vientiane (Laos), the leaders of the Ministry of Public Security of the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen comprehensive cooperation in drug prevention and control.

Six months on from the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding, the Vietnam Drug Crime Investigation Police force has led and coordinated with relevant units and localities to detect and combat 112 cases of drug trafficking from Laos to Vietnam for consumption, arresting 140 suspects, and seizing 83.6 kg of heroin and 109 kg of synthetic drugs.

The force identified 26 criminal organizations that illegally traded and transported drugs from Laos to Vietnam for consumption and arrested 16 Vietnamese wanted drug suspects staying in Laos.