Vietnam, Laos boost cooperation in fighting cross-border drug crime

Participants at the ministerial-level meeting (Photo: VNA) 

Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministries of Public Security of Vietnam and Laos held a ministerial-level meeting in Hanoi on October 26 to review the implementation of their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in drug prevention and control.  

Addressing the event, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Public Security Lieutenant General Nguyen Duy Ngoc said the signing of the MoU is a concrete and important step to lift cooperation in fighting cross-border drug crime between the two countries to a higher level. 

After the MoU was signed, the police forces of the two countries have actively developed plans, implemented drastically the assigned tasks, and achieved important results, Ngoc said. 

However, the work is facing great challenges, he noted, citing as examples the difficult terrains in border areas, the complicated activities of drug criminals, especially in border areas, with sophisticated methods and tricks. The planting of narcotic plants has been reported in border areas shared between the two countries, requiring the two ministries of security to enhance cooperation in the coming time, he said.  

For his part, Deputy Minister of Public Security of Laos Lieutenant General Khamking Phuilamanyvong highly appreciated Vietnam's funding for Laos to build border police stations, saying that the support has contributed to preventing and combating cross-border crimes, towards building a Lao – Vietnam borderline of peace, friendship and development. 

It was reported at the conference that the police forces of the two countries found four drug trafficking routes from the "Golden Triangle" area to Laos and then to Lao and Vietnamese localities. The two sides also coordinated to identify a number of key routes and locations that could be used by traffickers to transport drugs from the "Golden Triangle" area to Laos and Vietnam.

Police forces of the two countries have exchanged information related to drug prevention and control, transnational drug crime organisations and networks, via a hotline and border liaison offices set up in both countries.  

The two sides have also organised training courses for officers of the Lao Ministry of Public Security, helping Laos effectively fight drug crime.

The 10 Vietnamese provinces bordering Laos have built 191 border police stations for Laos, of which 179 have been completed and handed over to the Lao side./.