Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Public Security Sen Lt Gen Nguyễn Văn Long and heads of delegations from China, Laos and Myanmar at the launch meeting of the cross-border anti-drug campaign in Hà Nội on Tuesday. —VNA/VNS Photo Phạm Kiên

HÀ NỘI — Representatives of Việt Nam, China, Laos and Myanmar met in Hà Nội on Tuesday over the implementation of a three-month anti-drug campaign.

Addressing the conference, Việt Nam's Deputy Minister of Public Security Sen Lt Gen Nguyễn Văn Long said the four neighbouring countries, which share borders and hold important strategic positions in the region, are facing direct impacts from increasingly complex drug crime activities.

In response, the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security (MPS) proposed that the public security ministries of China and Laos and the Ministry of Home Affairs of Myanmar jointly implement an anti-drug campaign from June to September 2026. The initiative reflects not only operational cooperation but also a strong political commitment to addressing global drug crime and drug abuse.

Long stressed that Việt Nam regards drug prevention and control as an especially important political task requiring the involvement of the entire political system and society. He also highlighted the close cooperation and support provided by China, Laos and Myanmar in anti-drug efforts over the years.

At the conference, the four delegations adopted a joint action plan covering a wide range of measures. The countries agreed to strengthen assessments and control of the illegal production, trade and transportation of narcotics and precursors through tighter monitoring of border areas, border gates, as well as land, river, sea and air routes.

The plan also calls for joint investigations targeting transnational drug trafficking networks and major trafficking hubs, as well as enhanced cooperation in locating, arresting and repatriating wanted suspects who may be hiding in neighbouring countries.

The four sides will consider deploying liaison officers to support investigations into transnational drug cases involving the participating countries. They also pledged to strengthen oversight of legitimate activities involving narcotics-related substances and closely monitor businesses engaged in the import and export of chemical precursors to prevent their diversion into illicit drug production.

The campaign will run from June 15 to September 15 in border provinces and cities along the Việt Nam–Laos, Việt Nam–China, China–Laos, Laos–Myanmar and China–Myanmar borders, as well as other drug crime hotspots in the four countries.

According to a 2025 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), seizures of synthetic drugs in East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific increased by 18 per cent compared to 2024, with the Golden Triangle remaining a major source of synthetic narcotics.

Vietnamese drug crime investigation police handled 21,998 drug-related cases and arrested 44,354 suspects in 2025, seizing large quantities of heroin, cannabis and synthetic drugs.

A notable joint operation with Laos dismantled a cross-border drug precursor trafficking ring involving China, Việt Nam, Laos and Myanmar, leading to the seizure of 50.7 tonnes of caffeine that could have been used to produce more than 150 tonnes of methamphetamine tablets. — VNA/VNS