Ministry urges stronger action to combat drug crime

Can Tho (VNA) – The Ministry of Public Security (MoPS) and representatives of 33 southern provinces and cities reviewed the anti-drug efforts over the first six months of 2018 on July 16, stressing the need for stronger actions to fight drug-related crimes that remain complicated nationwide.

At the meeting in Can Tho city, public security officials shared their experience and pointed out some of the obstacles in drug-related crime combat and rehabilitation in their localities.

Deputy Director of the MoPS’s advisory department Colonel Le Van Chuong said the drug crime situation across the country is still complicated. Many new types of drug have appeared, resulting in a sharp rise in drug addicts, while drug rehabilitation remains largely ineffective in many areas. 

These facts require more drastic and stronger actions to fight drug crimes, along with the active participation of society and the whole political system and the public, he noted.

To promote anti-drug efforts, the MoPS, the Ministry of National Defence, and the General Department of Vietnam Customs have ordered relevant forces to continue grasping local situations, and upping anti-drug personnel in vulnerable areas like the northwestern, northeastern, northern central, and southwestern regions, as well as at airports and seaports, he said.

Chuong said the MoPS and relevant ministries should work closely with neighbouring countries to crack down on transnational drug rings, he added.

In the first six months of 2018, many drug trafficking rings were uncovered with the seized heroin volume surging 168 percent from the previous year. Authorised forces busted nearly 13,700 drug-related cases, arresting nearly 20,000 suspects and seizing over 940kg of heroin, nearly 800,000 synthetic drug pills, 1,500kg of marijuana, and over 40kg of opium.

Meanwhile, the total in drug-related cases and criminals rose 20 percent and 12 percent from the same period last year, respectively. Procuracies and courts at all levels brought to trial nearly 8,000 drug-related cases with nearly 9,600 defendants, data shows.-VNA