A large quantity of drugs was illegally traded by a ring headed by a Chinese seized in March. (Photo: thanhnien.vn)Hanoi (VNA) - Drug-related crimes have become more and more complicatedand unpredictable this year, according to the Investigation Police Departmenton Drug-related Crimes.
The situation is under directimpact of global andregional crimes, police said.
Illegal drugs in Vietnam mainly come from overseas to be traded in the country or fortransport to third countries via Vietnam’s land, air and sea routes, said the department’s headLieutenant-General Pham VanCac.
The trading and trafficking of illegal drugs, especiallysynthetic drugs, has sharply increased in border areas with Laos and Cambodia, he said.
Since earlier this year, police has tackled many illegal drug traffickingcases involving large quantities of narcotics in border areas.
The drugs from the 'Golden Triangle' around the Laos, Thailandand Myanmar borders were transported through Thailand, Laos and Cambodiato Vietnam.
Notably, some criminal rings from North America and Africaused Cambodia as a transit route to transport drugs to Vietnam’s northern provinces and China.
Meanwhile, in the border area between Vietnam and China, heroin wastransported to China via Vietnam and meth was transported from abroad to Vietnam for consumption.
The seaports continue to be potential routes for drugs to enterand transit through Vietnam.
Drug crimes with foreigner involvement are common in the southern region,especially HCM City which became a 'hot spot' of the crime in Vietnam.
Some foreigners came to Vietnam as tourists or businessmen and tookadvantages of the Government’s preferential policies on import-export, customsand immigration to carry out drug crimes.
They often worked with Vietnamese entities to set up businessesand rent warehouses to disguise their illegal activities.
To confront with situation, the department has enhanced measuresand worked with other forces to fight drug-related crimes, said the policegeneral.
The control and management of addictive and psychotropic drugshad produced many positivechanges and international cooperation on drug prevention has been expanded.
This year, the department dismantled thousands of crime ringsheaded by both Vietnamese and foreign nationals.
As of November, police had detected more than 23,300 cases,arresting over 36,200 criminals and seizing more thanone tonne of heroine, more than one million pills of syntheticdrugs, 614kg of opium and 768kg of cannabis.
Notably, the synthetic drugs figure increased five timescompared to last year, the police said./.
VNA
