On November 16, the Tay Ninh Provincial Police announced that the provincial investigative police agency had initiated criminal proceedings and filed charges against Pham Van Tien (36) and Dang Thanh Tuan (44), both residents of Dong Nai Province, for illegal drug transportation.  

On November 16, approximately 100 officers from the Tay Ninh Provincial Drug Crime Investigation Police, in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Security and other specialized units, divided into five teams to apprehend the suspects.  

Tien and Tuan were caught red-handed transporting drugs from a car into a house in an alley in Hiep Tan Ward, Hoa Thanh Town, Tay Ninh Province. Police confiscated nearly 60 kilograms of synthetic drugs along with related evidence.  

During a search of the suspects’ residences, authorities discovered a firearm and 11 bullets.  

Further investigation led to the temporary detention of five additional suspects linked to the trafficking network.  

Initial findings revealed that since July 2024, a suspect in Cambodia had used the Telegram app to hire Tien and Tuan to transport drugs from the border into Vietnam for a payment of $800 per kilogram.  

Before delivery in Vietnam, the Cambodian suspect arranged for the drugs to be transported from Cambodia to the border area in Tan Chau District, Tay Ninh Province.  

The drugs were then divided into smaller packages weighing 1 to 5 kilograms and delivered by couriers to Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, and Binh Duong provinces for distribution.  

During transportation, the suspects carried firearms and other weapons and hired lookouts to avoid detection.  

Xuan An