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The drug factory, which is over 1,000 square meters in size, is located on a hillside near a cemetery in Nha Trang City. Photo: Xuan Ngoc

Speaking to VietNamNet reporters on the evening of March 28, the leader of the People's Committee of Vinh Luong Commune, Nha Trang City, said that the locality had inspected and verified the entire land used as a ketamine drug factory that had just been destroyed by the authorities.

Initial results show that the two plots of land located on the hillside have clear owners. The commune authorities have worked with the individuals involved, checked the lease contracts and are completing the report to the Nha Trang City People's Committee.

The factory area of ​​over 1,000 square meters, located near the northern cemetery, was identified as an illegal construction. Vinh Luong Commune has drawn up a record of the violation and is considering further action.

Tools used by the subjects to produce synthetic drugs. Photo: C04.jpg
Police dismantle the largest illegal drug production ring ever in Vietnam. Photo: C04

Currently, the entire factory area is still strictly blocked, with police on duty 24/7.

Similarly, house number 47 in Cat Loi village – where the suspects placed drug-making equipment – ​​is also being closely monitored.

Regarding this case, the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department (C04, Ministry of Public Security) has established Project 199D. In the early morning of March 22, nearly 20 soldiers simultaneously raided three drug production sites in Nha Trang City, seizing a total of 1.4 tons of high-purity ketamine and nearly 80 tons of chemicals.

The investigation agency arrested 11 suspects, including 4 Chinese, 3 Taiwanese and 4 Vietnamese. The ringleader was identified as Truong Xuan Minh, 51 years old, Taiwanese.

According to the investigation, Minh entered Vietnam in 2021 under the guise of doing business and raising ornamental fish. In Khanh Hoa, he joined hands with Doan Van Hung (42 years old, Vietnamese) to find a location to set up a drug factory.

In November 2024, Minh rented a 1,000m2 plot of land near the Northern Cemetery, Vinh Luong Commune - a remote and difficult-to-access area. After that, the group continued to rent another 300m2 plot of land, about 3km from the starting point, to gather raw materials, chemicals and equipment.

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Large-scale ketamine production area, with only one road leading in. Photo: Xuan Ngoc

The subjects divided the production process into two stages to deceive the authorities. After a period of close monitoring, the 199D Task Force decided to crack the case.

According to C04, this is the largest illegal drug production project ever in Vietnam.

Ketamine drug factory 'hidden' in the middle of a cemetery The ketamine drug factory, which is over 1,000 square meters wide, was built by a criminal group on a hillside in Nha Trang City (Khanh Hoa Province), surrounded by a cemetery, far from residential areas.