Some of the drugs seized from a transnational smuggling ring. — Photo congan.com.vn

HÀ NỘI — The drug crime investigation police department announced on Thursday it had busted an illegal transnational drug trafficking ring, seizing 450kg of drugs of various types.

On March 13, border soldiers from Ba Sơn border point in Lạng Sơn Province’s Cao Lộc District detected a car carrying 246 plastic packages containing ketamine, weighing about 246kg.

From the initial testimony of the driver, Lộc Văn Cát, 32, living Cao Lộc District, the police arrested two main transporters, Vy Văn Hẻn and Hoàng Văn Chinh, who is a Chinese national.

On March 17, the provincial Border Guard Command issued a decision to prosecute the case of illegal transportation of drugs and transferred the document to the investigation police department for further investigation.

Through investigation, the police verified a man living in Nam Định Province, namely Phạm Văn An, who transported drugs from Nam Định Province to Lạng Sơn Province for Hẻn.

An was arrested on March 19 at his home in Nam Định Province.

At the investigation agency, An claimed that he took 26 packages containing about 520kg of synthetic drugs from a warehouse in Hà Nội's Chương Mỹ District and tranported them to Lạng Sơn Province to give 13 packages, weighing 246kg, to Hẻn.

Later, An transported the remaining 13 packages to Hà Nội and hid them at a car wash belonging to his brother Phạm Văn Đạo in Cầu Giấy District's Yên Hòa Ward.

Đạo was arrested and his shop was also searched.

The police seized six packages of synthetic drugs, weighing 120kg, at Đạo’s shop.

Six more people related to this drug ring were also arrested and 80kg of drugs collected.

Dozens of kilogrammes of other drugs were destroyed by the suspects when they discovered they were being investigated.

The investigation agency is working with relevant units to find the origin of these drugs. — VNS