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Delegates observed a minute of silence to commemorate General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Photo: C04.

Arrested 1,761 cases, 2,285 subjects

At the Conference, delegates observed a moment of silence to commemorate General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

Reporting at the Conference, Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Vien, Director of C04 Department, said: recently, the drug crime situation on the Northwest route continues to be complicated.

On August 9, 2021, the Ministry of Public Security issued Operational Plan No. 02 on preventing and fighting drug crimes on key routes, focusing on the Northwest, Northeast, North Central - Central Highlands and Southwest.

On August 24, 2021, C04 issued Operational Plan 3631 on preventing and fighting drug crimes on the Northwest route.

Particularly dangerous wanted subjects are hiding in Van Ho district, Son La province, Mai Chau district (Hoa Binh) and Dien Bien district (Dien Bien) in collusion and connection with domestic and foreign subjects to illegally buy, sell and transport drugs from the Golden Triangle area across the border into Vietnam and take them to third countries for consumption, causing many difficulties and challenges for the authorities in detecting and arresting them.

Recently, criminals have thoroughly taken advantage of advances in science, technology and cyberspace to operate, buy, sell, transport, and organize the illegal use of drugs.

After nearly 3 years of implementing Professional Plan No. 02 of the Ministry of Public Security and Professional Plan 3631 of C04 on preventing and fighting drug crimes on the Northwest route, drug prevention and combat on the route has had strong transformation.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Vien reported the results of the fight against drug crimes on the Northwest route. Photo: C04.

As a result, in the 6 months of the third year of implementing plan 3631, local police on the Northwest route discovered and arrested 1,761 cases and 2,285 drug offenders.

Evidence seized included: 86 kg of heroin, 89 kg of synthetic drugs, 19 kg of opium; The functional forces mobilized and arrested 17 wanted drug suspects, eliminated 36 complex drug sites, and discovered the destruction and uprooting of more than 10,000 plants containing drugs.

Pain from synthetic drugs

Speaking at the conference, Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Long, Deputy Minister of Public Security, assessed that the drug crime situation on the Northwest route has improved well, reduced a lot, and there is no longer a situation where criminals roam around, buy, sell drugs openly.

Analyzing the rate of prisoners in prisons, more than 70% of prisoners in prisons commit drug-related crimes, so it is necessary to evaluate all causes and problems to come up with reasonable solutions, being close to reality.

The problem that is causing concern and pain is the use of synthetic drugs, including mentally ill people and "drug addicts" causing particularly serious cases, and the use of drugs to drive vehicles causing traffic accidents, etc. These are subjects with a very high potential risk of committing crimes.

“It is necessary to have correct, sufficient and thorough awareness to solve the drug problem. Because drugs are a serious problem, affecting the race and the development of the nation, so we must not be vague when fighting drug crimes. Solutions must be implemented synchronously to block supply, reduce demand, and reduce the harmful effects of drugs," Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Long emphasized.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Long, Deputy Minister of Public Security spoke to direct the conference. Photo: C04.

Regarding the work of solving complex drug hotspots, these are issues that cause frustration and pain among the people, so we must be determined not to allow illegal drug trading spots and dens to exist in the area.

The Deputy Minister of Public Security said that the spirit when assigning tasks to deal with drug prevention and combat needs to be clear in 5 ways, including: clear people, clear tasks, clear responsibilities, clear time, clear results.

At the same time, we must do basic professional work well, taking prevention and professional work as the main focus to reduce fighting work. Leaders of the Ministry of Public Security also requested to improve the effectiveness of international cooperation, coordinate with specialized drug prevention and combat forces of the Border Guard, Coast Guard, and Customs to establish joint operations, prevent drugs from being smuggled into Vietnam from abroad.

Local police must be proactive, advise and propose key work contents to be carried out in the coming time to maintain and further promote the results achieved in recent times; Implement key, breakthrough solutions to contribute to creating a positive, fundamental change in the drug crime situation in the Northwest route.

The Northwest route stretches through 6 provinces: Hoa Binh, Son La, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Lao Cai and Yen Bai, has a border with Laos over 650 km long and with China is 520 km long, with 4 international border gates, 10 main border gates and hundreds of trails and openings.

The Northwest route is about 500 km from the "Golden Triangle" area - the world's major drug center. This place has rugged mountainous terrain, difficult transportation, sparse population, mainly ethnic minorities, and a difficult economic life, so they are easy to be lured, seduced by bad people into the way of breaking drug laws.