Director General of the General Department of Customs Nguyen Van Can commended individuals and units with achievements in fighting and dismantling drug cases of the Hanoi Customs Department at the Conference on preliminary review of coordination in the fight against drugs in the first 6 months of the year, June 2022. Photo: Ngoc Linh

Capturing the leader of a transnational drug ring

One of the typical cases is Special Project 522Q co-chaired by the Hanoi Customs Department and the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department (C04, Ministry of Public Security), in collaboration with relevant local police agencies in May 2022.

Although more than half a year has passed, every time the case is mentioned, the officers and soldiers of the Customs and Police have not forgotten the thrilling details related to the case.

Through investigation, the functional forces discovered a line of illegal drug trafficking and transportation from Germany to Vietnam for consumption by Vietnamese people residing in European countries. The suspects are taking advantage of goods transportation activities from logistics enterprises to transport drugs by air or post into Vietnam.

Leading this line is a German overseas Vietnamese named Nguyen Viet Hong Dung (born in 1996, hometown of Quang Binh). Dung has settled in Germany for a long time, has a wife and two children who are also living in Germany. Initially, when he went to Germany, Dung worked as a chef.

Drugs and exhibits (disguised in the packaging of other common items) in Special Project 522Q.

However, after that, Dung began to participate in transport for drug lines in Germany. Despite his relatively young age, Dung quickly grasped the market as well as the methods and tricks of drug trafficking and established his own line. To recruit "personnel" into the line, Dung entices relatives from the same hometown in Quang Binh or selects them on social networks, depending on each position and task.

In early May 2022, the Special Project Board discovered that Dung had flown back to Vietnam. The functional force said that on this occasion, the subject may return home to operate the drug line, so he planned to closely monitor it.

Notably, although he returned to Quang Binh with his wife and children, the subject rarely stayed at home, but often stayed outside the hotel and went to entertainment venues.

After consolidating documents and evidence, the Special Case Committee decided to implement the plan to solve the case. On May 13, 2022, when Dung returned from the hotel to his parents' house in Quang Binh, the Special Case Committee executed an urgent arrest warrant.

At the same time, functional forces simultaneously arrested related subjects in many localities across the country.

By the end of 2022, the Specialization Committee had arrested 11 people belonging to an organization that transported drugs from Germany to Vietnam for consumption and seized more than 50 kg of synthetic drugs of all kinds.

The above is just one of many typical projects on the anti-drug front that Hanoi Customs Department participated in dismantling. By the end of 2022, Hanoi Customs Department alone presided over and coordinated with forces inside and outside the industry to successfully carry out seven drug projects, seizing 372.7 kg of drugs of all kinds, the largest amount from So far, 39 people have been arrested.

The battle is tough

Together with the Hanoi Customs Department, the year 2022 will record outstanding achievements in fighting drug crimes by the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department and customs departments: Ho Chi Minh City, Dien Bien, Quang Tri, Nghe An, and Ha Tinh. , Hai Phong.

Many victories of units such as the seizure of eight packages of heroin disguised in a shipment chaired by Quang Tri Customs; Hai Phong Customs coordinated to dismantle transnational drug crime lines, seizing more than 30 kg of drugs of all kinds; the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department presided over the establishment of the DT922 project and agreed with the Hanoi Customs Department, the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department, Hanoi police seized 15 kg of drugs transported from Germany to Vietnam.

The above results show the close and drastic direction of the leaders of the General Department of Customs along with the increasing level and capacity to fight drug crimes. Because, not only have they successfully dismantled many transnational drug crime lines, and seized drugs weighing up to dozens, even hundreds of kilograms, many special projects led by Customs forces have successfully arrested the masterminds and leaders, which was rarely seen in previous years.

But on the other hand, the situation of drug crimes in the area of customs operations is increasingly complicated. In particular, air routes, express delivery, illegal trading and transportation of narcotics tend to increase in size, quantity and complexity.

At the Conference on mastering and exchanging professional experience in preventing and combating smuggling in the customs field (organized by the General Department of Customs in Ho Chi Minh City on November 9, 10, 2022), the Director General of the General Department of Customs Nguyen Van Can requested the whole industry to continue to thoroughly implement the direction of the leaders of the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Finance in the fight against drugs, seizure of material evidence and application of professional measures to identify, to arrest the subject in order to completely destroy the illegal trafficking and transportation of narcotics, identifying this as one of the key tasks assigned to the Customs by the Party and State and specified in detail in relevant legal documents.

From the cases shared by the forces, it is necessary to evaluate, summarize and draw lessons learned, on how to guide cadres and civil servants in the process of performing official duties, especially dealing with the coordination relationship between Customs and other forces (Police, Border Guard) in the process of coordinating the implementation of special cases, ensuring information related to illegal trading and transportation of illegal substances. Drugs must be handled promptly, confidentially and closely from the beginning to the end of the case.