HCM City police seize biggest-ever drug amount in 2019

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

Last year, the municipal police seized 356kg of heroin, 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 4,000 people involved in drug trading, storage and transportation.

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

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

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

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

For 2020, the HCM City Department of Public Security said it will enhance coordination with relevant agencies and ramp up actions to prevent and control drug crimes while taking measures to curb the increase in the number of drug addicts.

Minister of Public Security Gen. To Lam asked local police to crack down on trans-provincial and transnational drug rings as well as drug hot spots, increase the examination of restaurants and bars, and enhance resident management to prevent the formation of communities of illegal residents which may lead to law violations.

Meanwhile, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan said drug fight is an urgent and also regular and long-term task that requires persistence, drastic actions, high determination and close coordination among all-level authorities, sectors and socio-political organisations.