Mekong sub-regional countries unite to combat drug trafficking

At the event (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Narcotics Investigation Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security held a meeting in Hanoi on April 6 to review the operation of the Safe Mekong Coordination Centre (SMCC), which has been set up in all countries in the Mekong sub-region as part of their joint efforts to fight drug trafficking.

Addressing the event, Major General Nguyen Van Vien, head of the department said that countries in the Mekong sub-region are working hard together to fight drug crimes.

He underlined that Vietnam always pays great attentions to strengthening cooperation with regional countries to effectively implement the Sub-Regional Action Plan (SAP) on Drug Control.

Last year, Vietnamese anti-drug police raided 23,952 cases involving 36,126 suspects, seizing 741.78 kilos of heroin, 1,857.57 kilos and over 3.68 million tablets of meths, 105.33 kilos of opium and 268.03 kilos of cannabis.

Many drug trafficking rings with large caches of narcotics of all kinds were detected by police of Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, China and Myanmar, he said.

Participants approved an SAP on Drug Control for the 2023-2027 period comprising five key solutions, including carrying out joint drug crime combat campaign and cracking down on drug-related crimes on roads, rivers and along borders.

Participants pose for a group photo (Source: VNA)

The safe Mekong cooperation mechanism initiative was co-initiated by China and Thailand in 2013, and Vietnam officially joined the campaign in 2019.

So far, all six Mekong sub-regional countries have established and alternately chaired the activities of the SMCC. This year, Vietnam is taking the role of the chair of the SMCC and has invited officials from all member countries to work at its SMCC from February 7 to April 9./.

VNA