Destroying a large-scale illegal drug factory

According to the representative of the Ministry of Public Security, recently, the illegal production of synthetic drugs in the world and the region has become particularly complicated. Through the work of grasping the situation, it is shown that subjects are trying to produce drugs outside the Golden Triangle area, with a tendency to increasingly approach the Vietnamese border. Transnational drug crime organizations have taken advantage of difficult-to-control border areas and loopholes in management to establish drug production facilities. If drug production facilities are allowed to form inland, it will be a great threat to security and order. Therefore, the Department of Police Investigation of Drug Crimes (Ministry of Public Security) has stepped up cooperation with countries and international organizations to coordinate the fight against joint projects.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Long - Deputy Minister of Public Security awarded the Ministry of Public Security's bonus decision to the units participating in solving the case.

In August 2024, based on information exchanged by the Chinese side about 2 subjects who were involved in illegal drug production in China, they left for Vietnam, with a large shipment of glass tubes transported into our country. With professional acumen and experience in fighting cases of illegal drug production and trafficking, the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department assigned detectives to collect documents and verify and clarify.

After 1 month of collecting information and identifying subjects with signs of preparing to produce illegal drugs in Vietnam, at the end of September 2024, the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department decided to establish Project 199D, deploy forces, apply synchronous professional measures, determined to eradicate the ring, and arrest all subjects. With the intelligence, creativity, and perseverance of the reconnaissance force and the strong direction of the leaders of the Ministry of Public Security, after 6 months of establishing the project, the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department has drawn up a diagram of the roles of the subjects in the ring.

Accordingly, the leader of the ring is Truong Xuan Minh (51 years old, Taiwanese - Chinese). Minh came to Vietnam in 2021, creating a cover for investment, business, and ornamental fish farming. Minh lives as husband and wife with Pham Thi Le Han (30 years old, in Khanh Hoa). Minh's effective assistant is Doan Van Hung (42 years old, in Khanh Hoa). In November 2024, Minh asked someone to rent a ^1,000m2 plot of land in the Northern Cemetery area (Vinh Luong commune, Nha Trang city). This is a remote area, with few people passing by and difficult access. Minh assigned people to guard, install surveillance cameras and raise dogs to detect intruders. To gather raw materials, chemicals and related equipment, Minh rented an additional 300m2 plot of land ^3km from the above facility. After renting the land, Minh hired 2 Chinese and 4 Vietnamese people to construct and build the facility, install a 3-phase electrical system, and buy a generator. At the same time, Minh installed drug production lines, including 7 large-capacity reactor and refrigeration systems, centrifuges, odor treatment machines, vacuum pumps, and water filters.

Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Tan Tuan awarded bonuses to units participating in solving the case.

At the end of January 2025, the factory was completed, the subjects transferred raw materials and chemicals and started production phase 1. The chemicals were put into the mixer, combined with additives and adjusted the temperature to create a reaction between the chemicals. The finished product of this phase was about 1.8 tons of yellow powder, which the subjects packed into 27 foam boxes and then sent to a cold storage in Nha Trang. At this stage, the subjects created a cover for producing foaming agents for wastewater treatment. After that, Minh announced to stop production and let the subjects go home.

A few days later, Minh recruited four other people and hired two Taiwanese (Chinese) people with drug production skills to continue with phase 2. Minh bought many military pots, cotton, plastic baskets, and industrial gas stoves. The finished products in phase 1 were brought to the factory, added with solvents, heated continuously on a gas stove, then filtered through a layer of cotton to create sediment and used a centrifuge to produce a white powder. Next, the subjects took them to the warehouse in Cat Loi village (Vinh Luong commune) to carry out the final stage to produce pure ketamine. All activities were mainly carried out at night until dawn and lasted for many days.

Assessing that the subjects had produced drugs, if they completed the production, the subjects would temporarily stop their activities and return to the country, so it was necessary to proceed with solving the case. Determining a favorable opportunity, the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department reported to the leaders of the Ministry of Public Security to allow the unit to coordinate with the Khanh Hoa Provincial Police; Institute of Criminal Science; Department of Professional Techniques (Ministry of Public Security); Regional Customs Department XIII; Anti-smuggling Investigation Department, Customs Department (Ministry of Finance); Department 4 - Supreme People's Procuracy to solve the case.

At exactly 0:00 on March 22, nearly 200 officers and soldiers simultaneously attacked and arrested subjects who were illegally producing drugs at the above-mentioned factories and warehouses. At the production facility, the task force seized 118 kg of finished ketamine, 160 liters of ketamine solution, 17 tons of chemicals, and production lines and equipment for drug production. At the warehouse in Cat Loi village (Vinh Luong commune), the task force seized about 90 kg of ketamine, 270 liters of solution, and production lines and equipment for drug production; at the warehouse in Vinh Phuong commune (Nha Trang), about 57 tons of chemicals and 380 liters of gas were seized. Accordingly, 16 subjects related to this criminal organization were detained.

So far, the investigation agency has seized 1.4 tons of ketamine with very high purity, along with nearly 80 tons of chemicals, enough grounds to temporarily detain 9 subjects, including 7 Chinese subjects and 2 Vietnamese subjects. The subjects admitted to illegally producing drugs. Currently, the investigation team is continuing to investigate and clarify the case.

Recognizing the outstanding achievements of the forces participating in the fight to destroy a synthetic drug factory with an exceptionally large scale, modern equipment lines, and advanced technology, on March 25, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent a letter of commendation to the task force. In the letter, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh commended and highly appreciated the outstanding achievements of the task force. The feat demonstrated the intelligence and determination to attack and suppress criminals, accurately and accurately hitting large, transnational drug production lines, contributing to preventing the supply of drugs, preventing Vietnam from becoming an international drug transit area, and contributing to building a domestic environment and a drug-free region. The success of the task force not only demonstrates the effectiveness in the fight against drug crimes but also contributes to building trust and support from the community for drug prevention and control forces.

Due to the complexity of the case, on the afternoon of March 24, Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Long - Deputy Minister, Head of the Investigation Police Agency of the Ministry of Public Security directly went to the scene to inspect and direct the investigation and expansion of the case. On the same afternoon, Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Long presented the Ministry of Public Security's bonus decision to 20 groups. On the same day, Mr. Nguyen Tan Tuan - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Secretary of the Provincial People's Committee Party Committee presented the Provincial People's Committee's reward decision to 5 groups with outstanding achievements in fighting the case.

T.LONG - V.NHAT

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/xa-hoi/202503/triet-pha-xuongsan-xuat-trai-phep-chat-ma-tuy-quy-mo-lon-6583f5f/