From left: Nguyễn Đình Tín, Nguyễn Ngọc Tâm and Hoàng Trần Hiệp. — Photo cand.vn

ĐỒNG NAI — Police in the southern city of Đồng Nai have broken up a transnational drug ring, seizing 18kg of crystal methamphetamine and detaining or summoning more than 100 suspects.

Officers identified the ringleaders as Nguyễn Đình Tín, 39, residing in Đồng Nai, and Nguyễn Ngọc Tâm, 53, in the central province of Nghệ An.

The police said they found the pair had bought their drugs from Hoàng Trần Hiệp, a fugitive from the south-central province of Đắk Lắkclassified as especially dangerous and wanted on drug trafficking charges.

Hiệp, 36, known by the aliases Hiệp Nhóc and Hiệp Đen, always carried a military-grade firearm and was prepared to shoot if pursued, police said.

Officers arrested him at 6.30am on late October as he was about to climb into a Toyota Fortuner with fake license plates in the city’s Bình Phước Ward.

Evidence seized in the case. — Photo cand.vn

A coordinated sweep followed, with police detaining or summoning 104 more suspects. They also seized heroin, 1.8kg of ketamine, 1,800 illicit pills, a firearm and ammunition, eight vehicles and 450 million(about US$17,600) in cash.

Hiệp and his accomplices told investigators that from August until they were caught, they traded about 107kg of synthetic drugs, 10 bricks of heroin and 1,800 pills in deals worth about VNĐ14 billion (about $548,000).

Police are widening the investigation and gathering evidence to prosecute others linked to the ring. — VNS