The drugs seized in a case uncovered by HCM City police (Photo courtesy of HCM City police)

Last year, the municipal police seized 356kg ofheroin, 1.36 tonnes of synthetic drugs, 5.8kg  of cocaine, 40.8kg of marijuana,and more than 39kg of other drug types. They also dealt with nearly 4,000people involved in drug trading, storage and transportation.

Notably, on March 27, 2019, police detained ChenTsen Wei (born in 1986) and seized 895 heroin bricks while this Taiwanese nationalwas driving a truck near the An Suong roundabout in Trung My Tay ward ofDistrict 12. This is the biggest amount of heroin caught red-handed in Vietnamso far.

Probing into this case, police found that Chenwas part of a transnational ring led by Yu Chi Fu, a Taiwanese born in 1953. Upto 446 heroin bricks were discovered on November 3 when police searched fivesuspected locations in the suburbs of HCM City.

The drugs were found to have been traffickedfrom Cambodia to Vietnam and then hidden in containers of goods to be shippedto Taiwan (China) by sea.

In April, police also uncovered 1.1 tonnes ofsynthetic drugs trafficked by Chiang Wei Chih and Yeh Ching Wei of Taiwan andtheir accomplices. This is also the biggest-ever amount of synthetic drugseized in a case.

For 2020, the HCM City Department of PublicSecurity said it will enhance coordination with relevant agencies and ramp upactions to prevent and control drug crimes while taking measures to curb the increasein the number of drug addicts.

Minister of Public Security Gen. To Lam askedlocal police to crack down on trans-provincial and transnational drug rings aswell as drug hot spots, increase the examination of restaurants and bars, andenhance resident management to prevent the formation of communities of illegalresidents which may lead to law violations.

Meanwhile, Secretary of the municipal PartyCommittee Nguyen Thien Nhan said drug fight is an urgent and also regular andlong-term task that requires persistence, drastic actions, high determinationand close coordination among all-level authorities, sectors and socio-politicalorganisations./.VNA