Ho Chi Minh City police bust 8 drug rings, arrest 126, including 9 foreigners

The nine foreigners included five South Koreans and four Taiwanese people.

The municipal Department of Police’s drug crime investigation division said it had conducted the investigation after identifying several drug-related networks and their key members.

The crackdown began with the arrest of Duong Minh Tuan, 43, also known as “Hoang Nato,” a resident of Gia Dinh Ward, for allegedly organizing the illegal use of drugs.

Investigators then spent 10 consecutive days tracing leads and expanding the investigation to identify all individuals and networks involved.

The operation resulted in the dismantling of eight drug crime rings and the arrest of 126 people for drug trafficking, possession, organizing the illegal use of drugs, and illegal drug use.

Police identified Kim Yu Young, 34, a South Korean national, along with Pham Phuong Anh, 27, Pham Tai Vinh, 24, Le Dang Khoa, 32, Giang Quoc Khanh, 26, Pham Minh Sang, 34, and Nguyen Thanh Quoc, 30, as alleged leaders of the drug trafficking rings.

The networks were involved in trafficking etomidate, ketamine, ecstasy and other synthetic drugs, according to police.

Authorities seized more than 1,000 chill pod cartridges containing etomidate, about 100 grams of various synthetic drugs, and other related items and documents.

The investigation is ongoing as police work to identify additional suspects, trace the sources of the drugs and uncover other links in the networks.