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A 100 gram package of drugs hidden in a pig's stomach. Photo: Provided by C04

Attaching GPS to drug shipments

In the first months of 2024, the situation of drugs drifting at sea has become complicated with many cases being discovered and large amounts of drugs seized along coastal localities, especially in some localities in the Central and Southern regions.

Notably, according to the Director of the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department (General Department of Customs) Nguyen Hung Anh, in some cases, the authorities discovered GPS devices attached to packages containing drugs. "This is a new trick of the subjects to avoid having to deliver the goods directly in order to avoid the control of the authorities," Director Nguyen Hung Anh shared.

In fact, the use of GPS devices attached to packages and shipments containing drugs, even attached to means of transport, is a new and extremely sophisticated trick that causes many difficulties for the authorities.

A drug prevention and control officer of the Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department recalled that in early 2021, the authorities discovered a large-scale transnational drug trafficking ring.

International criminal organizations took advantage of express delivery and consignment of non-commercial gifts by air to send sophisticatedly disguised goods to hide drugs to Taiwan (China) for consumption. In that situation, the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department proposed that the leaders of the General Department of Customs approve the establishment of a special project coded HK668 to combat it. At the same time, the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department exchanged information with the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department (C04) to coordinate and jointly investigate and verify (C04 established project 125H).

After solving the case and seizing nearly 200 kg of drugs in Ho Chi Minh City (May 2021), the Special Task Force provided information to C04 (Ministry of Public Security) to continue expanding the investigation.

On May 19, 2021, C04 presided over a search of a 300 m2 warehouse in Hong Van commune (Thuong Tin district, Hanoi). Here, the authorities seized 90 kg of ketamine disguised in frozen stomach bags.

"The tricks of the subjects were extremely sophisticated when hiding drugs in vacuum-sealed pig stomachs and attaching positioning devices to track the goods during transportation. Each pig stomach contained about 100g of ketamine, the total amount of ketamine seized at the warehouse was 90 kg," said Director of C04 Nguyen Van Vien at the time of announcing the arrest (June 2021).

In addition, in an urban area in Long Bien district, Hanoi, C04 searched a house rented by a subject in the line (a foreign subject) and seized 5 GPS trackers used by the subjects to attach to the car transporting drugs to both monitor the transportation process and avoid detection by authorities.

Drug crimes using technology are becoming more and more complex

Director of C04 Nguyen Van Vien assessed that in the context of developing science and technology, drug crimes using technology and cyberspace to commit crimes have become more complicated, tending to increase with increasingly sophisticated and difficult-to-detect methods of operation.

On July 17, 2024, the Government issued Decree 90/2024/ND-CP amending and supplementing the list of narcotic substances and precursors issued together with Decree No. 57/2022/ND-CP dated August 25, 2022 of the Government regulating the lists of narcotic substances and precursors.

Accordingly, 14 substances are added to List II "narcotic substances used with restrictions in analysis, testing, scientific research, criminal investigation or in the medical field according to regulations of competent authorities".

Add 1 substance to List III "narcotic substances used in analysis, testing, scientific research, criminal investigation or in the medical and veterinary fields according to regulations of competent authorities" which is Bromazolam.

Subjects take advantage of applications and social networking platforms to illegally buy and sell drugs; organize, entice and gather to illegally use drugs; instruct, prepare, produce, and illegally use drugs, etc.

During the delivery and receipt process, subjects also take advantage of transportation services (technology motorbikes, taxis) to avoid detection and arrest by authorities.

“Subjects even use drones to transport drugs,” Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Vien shared.

Faced with the sharp increase in drug crimes taking advantage of cyberspace activities, C04 promptly issued plans and instructed local police to switch the fighting state from “real life” to “virtual life”, while stepping up the fight against drugs disguised as food, drinks, electronic cigarettes, etc.

“We request that units and localities apply synchronous professional measures, establish specialized projects to thoroughly combat drug trafficking and illegal transportation lines, and resolutely arrest the masterminds”, Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Vien emphasized.