Operation Mekong Dragon 7 conference on Wednesday. — Photo courtesy of Customs Department

HÀ NỘI — A regional crackdown on transnational crime led by Customs agencies across the Asia–Pacific has uncovered more than 1,150 cases linked to the illegal trade in drugs and endangered wildlife, officials said at a two-day meeting in Khánh Hòa that concluded on Wednesday.

Việt Nam hosted the closing conference of the seventh Operation Mekong Dragon (OMD 7), a joint campaign running from April 15 to September 15 and involving 24 national agencies and international organisations.

Nearly 60 delegates from member-country Customs authorities and global law-enforcement bodies attended, including representatives from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Regional Intelligence Liaison Office for Asia–Pacific under the World Customs Organisation.

Mekong Dragon was launched in 2018 as a Việt Nam–China initiative to curb illegal trafficking in drugs, wildlife and CITES-listed products. It has since become one of the region’s most prominent cooperative enforcement platforms.

Đặng Văn Đức, Deputy Director of the Anti-Smuggling Investigation Division, said: "Việt Nam's Customs authorities had received active and substantive support from partners during OMD 7, particularly in intelligence sharing and operational coordination."

Since 2022, the campaign has also been closely overseen by senior Vietnamese leaders, prompting expanded cooperation with the Ministry of Public Security’s anti-drug and environmental crime units and the rollout of the operation across all local Customs offices.

Information shared by partners, including mainland China, Australia, Hong Kong (China) and Japan, helped Việt Nam detect several major drug shipments this year.

In the first 10 months of 2025, Department ofViệt Nam Customs and other enforcement units uncovered 165 cases, arrested 213 suspects and seized 2.3 tonnes of narcotics.

Across all member countries, OMD 7 recorded 1,155 cases, according to preliminary data presented at the meeting.

Authorities detected 1,027 drug-related cases, seizing 11.8 tonnes of narcotics and 1.745 million synthetic-drug tablets. Twenty cases involved chemical precursors, with 353kg and 3,800 precursor tablets confiscated.

Another 108 cases related to wildlife trafficking, in which 4,951.9kg and 12,800 specimens were seized.

UNODC officials told the meeting that Mekong Dragon has evolved beyond a single campaign into a trusted platform for intelligence exchange and joint action against organised crime.

The agency reaffirmed its commitment to provide technical and operational support, data-sharing tools and regional coordination mechanisms to strengthen cross-border enforcement.

After seven iterations, officials said the programme has grown into a recognised regional brand in Customs cooperation and a key tool for confronting increasingly sophisticated trafficking networks.

OMD 7, they added, delivered notable gains in intelligence sharing, casework and capacity building, contributing to efforts to safeguard security and stability across the Asia–Pacific. — VNS