Inside the synthetic drug production facility in Nha Trang City. – Photo courtesy of C04

HÀ NỘI – The Drug Crime Investigation Department (C04) under the Ministry of Public Security has successfully dismantled a large-scale synthetic drug production facility that used advanced technology.

C04, in collaboration with provincial police, customs and anti-smuggling units, disrupted a transnational drug network operating in the south-central province of Khánh Hòa.

In August 2024, Chinese authorities notified Việt Nam about two individuals involved in illegal drug production entering the country, accompanied by suspicious shipments of laboratory glassware.

Following several months of surveillance, C04 identified Zhang Chunming, a 51-year-old Taiwanese national, as the ringleader. Zhang had set up a drug production workshop on a 1,000sq.m plot in Nha Trang City, disguised as a fish farming business. He employed both Vietnamese and Chinese nationals to construct and equip the facility.

By late January 2025, the workshop had produced around 1.8 tonnes of yellow powder, which was packed into 27 styrofoam containers and sent to a cold storage warehouse in Nha Trang. Zhang then recruited additional personnel to refine the substance into high-purity ketamine using industrial-scale processes.

On March 22, nearly 200 officers coordinated a raid that led to the arrest of 16 suspects, including seven from China and Taiwan (China). Authorities seized 1.4 tonnes of ketamine and nearly 80 tonnes of chemicals. This facility represents the largest and most sophisticated synthetic drug lab ever uncovered in Việt Nam, but no evidence has been found indicating that its products had reached the market.

Lieutenant General Nguyễn Văn Viện, head of C04, said “This is a synthetic drug factory of an exceptionally large scale, equipped with modern production lines and advanced technology. It is the largest and most sophisticated synthetic drug lab uncovered in Việt Nam.”

Viện further emphasised that the drug products with the highest purity were produced by highly skilled operators.

He also stressed the need for local police to strengthen supervision and prevent domestic drug production.

In his letter of congratulations to the police, the Minister Phạm Minh Chính highlighted the achievement's contribution to disrupting the drug supply chain and preventing Việt Nam from becoming a key international drug transit hub. He also underscored the importance of fostering a drug-free environment both domestically and regionally.

The Prime Minister’s message also recognised the strong international cooperation between Vietnamese and Chinese police forces, along with the effective coordination between the Ministry of Public Security and other relevant agencies. -- VNS