Nguyễn Hùng Anh, director of the Bureau Of Anti-smuggling Investigation under the General Department of Customs, — Photo haiquan.vn

Nguyễn Hùng Anh, director of the Bureau Of Anti-smuggling Investigation under the General Department of Customs, speaks to Hải Quan (Customs) magazine at the start of the action month on drug prevention and control.

Could you provide details regarding drug offenders apprehended by customs?

According to authorities, the number of drug cases and offenders arrested have increased with more serious, complicated and unpredictable developments.

There are many new drugs that are not included in the list of management. Hidden drugs blended in goods, foods, drinks have been illegally traded and transported illegally in larger quantity to Việt Nam for consumption, or then transported to the third country.

By road, criminals often take advantage of long borders, complex mountainous terrain, many trails, openings and gaps, as well as open mechanism and policies in export, import, immigration, customs procedures for mixing, hiding and illegally transporting narcotics from Laos and Cambodia to Việt Nam through the northwestern, central - Central Highlands and southwestern provinces.

Violations by air and couriers have mostly been found at the international airports of Nội Bài, Tân Sơn Nhất, and Đà Nẵng.

The smugglers concealed narcotics in their own backpacks, in food and even within their own bodies. Substances have been combined with items that have been deposited, expressed, or non-commercial presents given to Việt Nam from nations in Europe, America, Africa and Oceania for use domestically or to be transported to a third country, or vice versa.

Forces in the waterways of Nghệ An, Đà Nẵng, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, An Giang, Kiên Giang, and Cà Mau seized narcotics packages drifting at sea fitted with locating devices in huge quantities.

The customs sector has promoted the combined strength of the whole industry, especially the specialised forces in drug prevention and control.

In order to effectively combat drug smuggling in all stages, routes, and places we have maximised external assistance resources within the framework of mechanisms, coordination and collaboration with functional forces, ministries, sectors, agencies and organisations.

In the area of ​​customs, the customs office plays the leading role. Outside of this area, the customs office coordinated with forces, ministries, sectors and acts as a core police force.

We have also organised training to raise awareness, skills and knowledge of laws and drug prevention and control in the field of customs.

We still actively participate in international collaboration initiatives as well as worldwide drug prevention and control campaigns.

What lessons have been learned by the customs sector in fighting drug traffickers?

Collecting drug evidence and arresting traffickers is the only way to successfully prevent illegal drug transit rings from abroad to Việt Nam. To accomplish this, close combat collaboration is required.

Customs has collected, analysed and evaluated information and documents related to criminal gangs and taken professional measures to arrest offenders.

The police and customs authorities have been actively coordinating from the information sharing and verification stages. We break crime rings fast and efficiently by using expert techniques.

Customs force faces many challenges. Buying and selling goods via electronic method is very easy. While drugs are purchased without paying in advance, traffickers can monitor the shipping time as well as time for customs clearance. If the goods arrive in Việt Nam but it faces obstacles in customs clearance, they will abandon the goods.

Traffickers hide drugs in shipments of sea transport which is difficult to check such as frozen goods, detergent, animal feed, wooden furniture, agricultural products, plastic particles, machinery and exported granite. More traffickers are taking advantage of the sea route to buy and sell drugs.

In addition, there are more and more new synthetic drugs, some of which have not been updated in the data of drug detection devices and are not included in the control list of legal documents.

What initiatives will the sector take during the drug prevention and control action month?

In order to effectively implement the special drug prevention and control campaign in June the action month of drug prevention and control in 2024, the Bureau Of Anti-smuggling Investigation advised the General Department of Customs to build key plans and programmes to warn and guide local customs departments on drug prevention and control.

We will promote inspections, supervision and control of import and export goods, luggage, means of transport and immigration to promptly detect any hidden narcotics.

Units need to use tools, screening equipment, especially specialised equipment, and trained dogs for drug prevention. — VNS