Police in northern Son La province have seized 160 kg of heroin with a street value estimated in the millions of dollars and arrested dozens, killing one, in one of the largest drug busts of recent memory.

The weapons of drug traffickers.

They have also seized an arsenal of weapons including three AK-47 semiautomatic assault rifles along with untold amounts of property suspected of being associated with the criminal enterprise.

Police say they pounced on the syndicate after surveillance of the operation led to them being caught red handed in the brazen act of carrying the drugs across the border from Laos into Vietnam.

An unidentified police officer said it was the biggest heroin seizure for some time.

"This seizure is the biggest of its kind in the province in recent years. Transnational drug traffickers continue to target the province in order to make millions from the sale of heroin at the expense of the vulnerable in our community, he said.

Further investigation is continuing and more arrests are planned.

VOV