Vietnam busts massive cross-border drug network, seizes nearly 800kg of narcotics

The Golden Triangle, an intersection of Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar, is one of the world's biggest heroin-producing regions.

According to the department, in early July, investigators identified unusual activities linked to two Hanoi residents, Tran Quoc Huy, 25, and Duong Cao Huy, 26.

Around the same time, the Drug and Crime Prevention Department of the Vietnam Border Guard Command uncovered a drug-smuggling ring from Laos into Vietnam, allegedly headed by Tran Duc Thanh, 42, from Nghe An Province, and Chu Anh Tuan, a 43-year-old resident of Phu Tho Province.

The two groups were believed to be connected.

Identifying the scale, sophistication, and cross-border nature of the network, the two departments launched a joint operation codenamed 825P.

Investigations revealed that the criminal ring operated with extreme caution.

The mastermind, later identified as a fugitive hiding abroad, coordinated operations entirely through encrypted platforms such as Telegram and Signal, using aliases to avoid detection.

Tuan, one of the key operatives, reportedly met a man named Long during a trip overseas.

Long, who was a wanted drug trafficker, offered Tuan VND3 million (US$114) per kilogram to handle drug distribution inside Vietnam.

In May, Long arranged for Tuan to receive 300 kilograms of drugs at Vuon Sim Stadium in Phu Tho Province.

Tuan stored the shipment at the home of his aunt, Nguyen Thi Cuc, and her husband, Hoang Van Sang, in Binh Nguyen Commune before redistributing it as directed.

The drugs were left at an abandoned house near the Dong Ma cemetery, for other couriers to retrieve.

To reduce Tuan’s exposure, Long assigned two more operatives, Nguyen Van Thai, 31, and Trinh Thi Kieu, 25, to collect and deliver the drugs.

In under two months, the ring trafficked all 300 kilograms.

Larger shipment sparks final crackdown

In early August, Thanh agreed to transport 930 kilograms of synthetic drugs to Hanoi on behalf of a Laotian supplier for $250,000.

Thanh hired container-truck driver Pham Van Dung, 54 from Hai Phong City, to bring 49 sacks of drugs into Vietnam.

On August 17, Dung delivered the shipment to Tuan at the same stadium in Phu Tho Province, and the drugs were stored at the same hideout.

Within a month, the group distributed more than 200 kilograms across various provinces, including southern localities.

In late September, investigators gathered sufficient evidence.

At 9:30 pm on September 21, in Binh Nguyen Commune, Phu Tho Province, the two departments launched a coordinated raid.

Officers arrested several key suspects, including Tuan, Kieu, Cuc, and Sang, and seized 706 kilograms of synthetic drugs, a vacuum-sealing machine used for packaging drugs, and multiple documents linked to the trafficking operation.

Simultaneously, 10 additional task forces across multiple provinces apprehended 11 more traffickers and confiscated another 70 kilograms of narcotics.

Investigators confirmed that Long’s real name was Tran Van Quyet, 40, from Ho Chi Minh City, a fugitive wanted on two warrants for drug trafficking.

Quyet had been hiding near the Golden Triangle and had built extensive networks with Vietnamese nationals abroad, orchestrating large-scale trafficking rings into Vietnam.

Among them was the ring led by Chu Anh Tuan.

Operation 825P has resulted in 13 individuals being charged, and 777 kilograms of synthetic drugs being seized.

The Drug Crime Investigation Department hailed the operation as a landmark success, citing seamless coordination between the department and the Drug and Crime Prevention Department.

The achievement underscored the effectiveness of unified, multi-agency action in combating drug-related crime.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh issued a letter of praise on October 6, commending the bravery, intelligence, and coordination shown by the forces involved.