This statement was made by Deputy Minister of Public Security Le The Tiem at a teleconference held in Hanoi and HCM City to review this year’s three-month campaign to fight drug-related crime.

General Tiem said the campaign has involved many sectors and groups and stepped up efforts to intercept drug smuggling across the border. Many places used for selling or using drugs have been shut down and many others are less accessible to the public than before. Young people have been discouraged from using discotheques and karaoke venues to take Ecstasy.

Over the past three months, the Police Department for Drug-related Crime Investigation has uncovered five big drug rings, arresting 26 Africans and seizing 11.4kg of heroin. These rings hired Vietnamese women to traffic drugs in various sophisticated ways during visits to their relatives in foreign countries.

The police force discovered more than 3,600 violations, seizing 108kg of heroin, nearly 60kg of dry marijuana, nearly 2,700kg of fresh marijuana, and 3.6kg of opium. The border guards, marine police and customs officers uncovered an additional 250 cases. The people’s procuracy bodies at various levels have prosecuted more than 3,000 drug-related cases while people’s courts have tried over 4,000 cases.

In addition to suppressing drug crime, many provinces such as Son La, Yen Bai, Hau Giang, and Binh Thuan have made a huge effort to raise public awareness with the aim of curbing the cultivation of opium and marijuana. The Hai Duong provincial police detected a case of growing 279 marijuana plants on a terrace, for which an overseas Vietnamese in Canada had provided seeds, techniques and chemicals.

Much remains to be done, said Mr Tiem, who added that there remains a huge amount of drugs being transported across the border into Vietnam, which requires the close cooperation of Vietnamese and foreign partners. The rehabilitation of drug users also presents a lot of difficulties, he said.