The General Department of Vietnam Customs directed local customs departments, Anti-smuggling and Investigation Department to strengthen information collection and use equipment and drug sniffer dogs to timely detect, fight and handle the case of drug-related violations.

Exhibits in the case of seizing 36 kg of drugs by HCM City Customs
Department in coordination with Anti-smuggling and Investigation
Department – GDVC, PC04 – HCM City Police in April of 2021. Photo: Lê Thu

On June 1, the leaders of the General Department of Vietnam Customs issued a document directing local customs departments and the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department to deploy the Action Month for Drug Prevention 2021 (June 2021).

The leaders of the General Department of Vietnam Customs requested units to continue to understand and implement directions, documents on the prevention and control of drugs and precursors like Directive No. 36-CT/TW dated August 16th, 2019 of the Politburo; Decision No. 1001/QD-TTg dated June 27, 2011 of the Prime Minister; Decision No. 291/QD-TTg dated February 21, 2020 of the Prime Minister and Decision No. 1165/QD-BTC dated August 6, 2020 of the Minister of Finance.

At the same time, strictly implementing Plan No. 6197/KH-TCHQ dated September 22, 2020 of the General Department of Vietnam Customs on improving the effectiveness of the prevention, combat and control of drugs and precursors by the Customs sector.

Working with local authorities, corporations and departments to communicate, disseminate and deploy education activities on drug prevention policies and laws, especially new points of the Law on Drug prevention in 2021.

Strengthening professional measures on drug control, performing information collection and analysis well in the country and abroad, the task of basic investigation, verification of objects and vehicles related to illegally trading and transporting of narcotics and precursors to establish effective combat projects for drug trafficking and transport activities through the customs areas.

On specific tasks, local customs departments assign specialised drug prevention teams or customs enforcement teams (units that do not have specialised drug prevention teams) to advise leaders of customs department to develop a plan of Action Month for Drug Prevention 2021 creatively and effectively, appropriate with the functions, tasks, situation and characteristics of the unit and locality, and ensure the pandemic prevention, as well as deploy communication activities on the functions and tasks of the Customs sector in drug prevention.

Increasing use of drug sniffer dogs and specialised equipment to inspect goods, luggage and vehicles passing through the border gate and deploying drug prevention activities through the implementation of customs procedures; focus on the inspection, control and supervision of exported and imported goods, means of transport on entry, exit and transit at the place of implementing customs procedures to proactively detect and arrest cases of trafficking, transporting drugs across the border.

The Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department is responsible for directing specialised drug control units of the department to strengthen the work of grasping the situation, grasping the key localities, collecting and handling information on drug crimes.

At the same time, closely working with the specialised forces on drug prevention of the local Customs Departments and the competent forces of Police, Border Defence, and Coast Guard to detect, seize and handle cases of trading and transport of narcotics across the border on the borders, road and sea border gates, especially by air in the ​​customs operation areas during the complex situation of the pandemic.