Strengthen the cooperation to enhance the effectiveness of anti-drugs

The method of hiding drugs in apple juice cans in the arrest of 179 kg of drugs in June 2024. Photo: Ngoc Linh

Several new challenges

At a recent workshop on drug and precursor control in customs organized by the General Department of Vietnam Customs, Nguyen Hung Anh, Director of the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department, expressed concerns about the increasing emergence of new types of drugs. Efforts to combat the illegal trafficking, transportation, and seizure of drugs by customs and specialized forces have led to the discovery and seizure of a significant increase in new types of drugs compared to previous years. Specifically, in the first six months of 2024, nearly 400 kg and 1,373 pills of other types of drugs were seized. In 2023, approximately 100 kg and 1,155 pills of other drugs were seized. Prior to these years, such drugs were not detected or seized.

Another worrying point raised by the Director of the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department is that some drug offenders in large drug rings have in-depth expertise in the pharmaceutical field, participating in the coordination and purchase of precursors for drug production using extremely sophisticated methods. Drug trafficking activities always involve close and sophisticated collusion between domestic and foreign subjects.

Nguyen Tuan Canh, Deputy Head of the Drug Enforcement Division, Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department, added that in addition to physical concealment by hiding drugs in goods or mixing them with food, a chemical concealment method has recently emerged. Specifically, criminals use chemical reactions and thermal decomposition to create a chemical cover to conceal drugs, avoiding detection by law enforcement. With drugs concealed in this manner, some on-site drug detection devices may not be able to detect them, leading to difficulties in control.

Operating in areas with bustling import and export activities, posing many risks for drug-related crimes, Ho Chi Minh City Customs has recently detected and handled many large drug cases. Particularly prominent is the transportation of drugs via air routes. Vo Thanh Hung, Deputy Head of Anti-Drug Enforcement Team of Ho Chi Minh City Customs, said that criminals often use business passports and arrive at the airport close to flight time to put pressure on the duty force. The methods of concealing drugs are also very sophisticated, impossible to detect with the naked eye but must be examined through scanning machines.

Nguyen Truong Giang, Deputy Director of Hanoi Customs, shared that 80-90% of drug cases detected and seized at Noi Bai International Airport Customs Branch were hidden in goods such as milk boxes, pharmaceuticals, food, and pet food. Most recently, there have been cases of drugs hidden in cans of apple juice, air compressors, and bags of wine. “This depends largely on professional measures to identify abnormalities in completely normal shipments,” said Giang.

Notably, drugs washed ashore is also an alarming reality. According to statistics from Quang Ngai Customs, from 2022 to the present, more than 300 kg of drugs, mainly cocaine, have washed ashore in Quang Ngai and been discovered by law enforcement and the public. When seized, the drug packages were still very new, carefully packaged to prevent water seepage and equipped with a positioning device.

Effectiveness from the cooperation

In response to the complex developments in drug crime, Vietnamese customs authorities have proactively strengthened international cooperation in drug prevention and control, in addition to improving their professional capabilities.

Nguyen Hung Anh stated that the Mekong River Commission has reached its sixth phase, and the bilateral campaign with South Korean Customs to enhance cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking was successfully implemented in 2023 and is ongoing in 2024. In these two campaigns, Vietnamese customs authorities have actively participated in co-initiating, developing plans, and coordinating and implementing cooperation activities, as well as exchanging technical and professional information to enhance the effectiveness of the fight against drug trafficking and customs control in general.

From a local perspective, Vo Thanh Hung assessed that coordination with both internal and external forces has improved the effectiveness of drug control. Since Ho Chi Minh City Customs signed a cooperation agreement with Ho Chi Minh City Police and Ho Chi Minh City Border Guard, drug cases detected by customs have been immediately joined by the PC04 force, which has taken over the violators and evidence at the customs operating area and continued to investigate and expand the investigation into related subjects until completion. As a result, many achievements have been made, with numerous individuals and drug rings apprehended compared to the previous period.

Regarding the land border, Tran Duy Linh, Head of Anti-Drug Enforcement Team, Quang Tri Customs, shared that the unit has organized the collection of information early, from a distance, and from the point of origin to ensure good coverage for the two border gates and to prevent unexpected incidents. After each seizure, the unit organizes a meeting to draw lessons and issues warnings across the Vietnam-Laos border for local customs departments to organize monitoring and effectively combat this type of crime. Accordingly, in the first six months of 2024, the Drug Control and Prevention Team has presided over and coordinated with law enforcement agencies to seize 9 cases involving 22 subjects, over 140,000 synthetic drug pills, and 100 kg of methamphetamine.