Despite the efforts of law enforcement forces, Viet Nam has seen a rising level of complexity and severity in criminal cases recently, head of the country's investigation police Gen. Ho Sy Tien said during an annual police meeting on Friday in HCM City.

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While the police recorded nearly 55,000 criminal cases across the country during the first ten months of the year – a slight decrease of 2,580 or 4.73 per cent in the number of cases compared to the same period last year – the number of violent crimes and serious crimes such as murders had increased.

Criminal organisations were reportedly still pulling the strings behind numerous operations in various economic sectors including mineral extraction and the transport industry. According to a police report there were around five hundredd known criminal organisations working in the country.

Tien said that collaboration between local police and central police authorities remained key in the country's anti-crime effort. The central police would continue to provide support and guidance in crime prevention and crime eradication campaigns across the country.

He noted that timely intervention of law enforcement forces to combat local crime hotbeds was necessary in order to safeguard public order and safety.

Notably, HCM City's police investigated more than 70 cases, which involved foreigners (mostly of African origin) who were allegedly involved in numerous fraud schemes in the city.

Police authorities in cities and provinces where criminal organisations were traditionally strong were asked to step up collaboration efforts with each other.

In addition, neighbouring localities were required to increase patrol activities and co-operation to combat and hunt down criminal gangs, who often move from one locality to another after committing crimes.

VNS