Action for healthy drug-free community

To fight successfully against drugs requires efforts from everyone in the society.

A VOVNews reporter interviewed Major-General Nguyen Anh Tuan, head of the Drug Crime Prevention Police Bureau under the Ministry of Public Security about the issue.

VOVNews: Significant progress has been made in preventing the spread of illegal drugs, but the struggle is still complicated. What is your evaluation of efforts to prevent drug-related crime at this time?

Major General Nguyen Anh Tuan

Major-General Tuan: Preventing and fighting drug-related crime has been quite successful in recent years. We have uncovered many trans-national drug trafficking rings and arrested small drug traffickers.

However, the pressure of international drug-related crime, especially since Vietnam borders with “Golden Triangle” – the world’s main source of opium, has affected Vietnam and it remains a complicated issue.

The prevention forces seized more than 12,000 drug-related cases and arrested nearly 20,000 drug related criminals.

Since 2010, drug-related crime has been operated by sophisticated and cunning people. They find every way to fight against authorities and even use weapons.

Recently, Tran A Chu from Tan Lac in Hoa Binh province who was in possession of 50 bags of heroin ran a car into a police blockade and killing a policeman.

Fighting against small drug trafficking rings, especially in urban areas, is also complicated. In the past, trafficking happened at discotheques where a lot of people gathered. Now people purchase and use drugs at bars, karaoke halls and hotels.

Another complication is the appearance of methamphetamine and the users are becoming younger and younger, even pupils and students. We recently discovered drug transactions at a coffee bar in Phu Doan Street, and a karaoke bar in Nhat Tan, Hanoi, and discovered many young drug users, including pupils and students.

We arrested some criminal groups of African origin who brought drugs into Vietnam or transported drugs to other countries through Vietnam.

The thorny struggle is steadily growing fiercer.

VOVNews: Vietnam is becoming deeply integrated into the world and trans-national drug trafficking is complicated. How should drug-related crime prevention forces cooperate with other relevant authorities?

Major-General Tuan: We have to fight against all kinds of drugs and the struggle requires efforts from everyone in society, including primary forces such as the police, border guards, customs officials and sea police.

We have successfully implemented the Prime Minister’s direction No133 and the Politburo’s direction No48 on strengthening Party leadership in fighting crime, including drug-related crime. These directions marshaled the strength of the whole political system and society in the struggle.

We need to coordinate closely with authorities from other countries to prevent drugs from coming into our country. Vietnam has signed agreements and memorandums of understanding on drug prevention with Asian, African and Pacific countries as well as those between ASEAN countries and China.

VOVNews: What will Vietnam contribute to achieve the target of a drug-free ASEAN by 2015 and to respond to the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (June 26) under the theme “Global Action for Healthy Communities without Drugs”,?

Major-general Tuan: Drug prevention is an important task. To create a drug-free ASEAN and respond to the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Vietnam has mobilised internal resources and accessed international support to control the development of drug trafficking.

This is a long-term struggle. Relevant authorities should disseminate information about the dangers of drug abuse and drug-related crime among the citizens to encourage them to prevent and fight against illegal drugs.

We should provide drug users with rehabilitation and jobs to ensure a stable life after detoxification. There are currently 130,000 drug users in Vietnam. We should try to create wards and residential areas without drugs.

Vietnam should also strengthen international cooperation in preventing the use of illegal drugs because the struggle requires the whole world to join hands.

VOVNews: Thank you very much.

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