Vietnamese police bust drug ring disguised as e-cigarettes targeting students

The Ministry of Public Security's Drug Crime Investigation Department said on Sunday that it had coordinated with multiple units to uncover and break up the ring, arresting 17 suspects.

According to the department, officers focused on the illegal trade and transportation of narcotics in cyberspace.

The traffickers camouflaged drugs as electronic cigarettes, vaping pods, and CBD liquids to evade detection.

The network used social media platforms to advertise and sell the products, handling transactions through bank transfers before shipping the goods nationwide via express delivery services.

Many users were reportedly unaware that the products they consumed contained narcotic substances, having been misled by packaging and promotional claims such as ‘odorless’ and ‘non-addictive.’

On January 9, officers and investigators caught Nguyen Cong Oanh, a 24-year-old resident of Tay Ho Ward in Hanoi, red-handed sending seven drug-laden parcels through a courier service to various provinces.

Subsequent investigations led the department to expand the case, coordinating with police in Ninh Binh, Hai Phong, Bac Ninh, Tuyen Quang, and Hung Yen in northern Vietnam to raid and search the homes of 10 other suspects linked to the ring.

Police detained a total of 17 suspects and seized a large quantity of evidence, including nine kilograms of herbal drugs, six liters of CBD liquid, 7.5 liters of liquid containing finished narcotics, and 308 cigarettes infused with drugs.

Forensic analysis confirmed that all seized samples contained illegal narcotic substances.

Police are continuing to expand the probe into the ring.