Light at the back

(Baothanhhoa.vn) - After each project, putting aside the hardships and difficulties, the police officers and soldiers in charge of drug crime prevention continue their new journey, facing many dangers, for a society without "white death". They are still the same, silently and quietly, persistently and sequentially, still sticking to the area every day, every hour, from the bustling cities to the remote countryside, from the remote islands to the rugged mountains, to build together the ramparts, protecting the peace and happiness behind. For them, that is the light of truth, the motivation to contribute and sacrifice.

Evidence seized in Project 724D led by the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department to dismantle an inter-provincial and transnational drug trafficking and trading ring. Photo: Duc Hung

On Village, Tam Chung Commune, on a sunny day in the middle of June in the border area. It is not difficult to recognize the remnants of a time when this place was known as the "capital" of drugs in the border area of Thanh Hoa through the dilapidated roofs with sunlight filtering through and the wind blowing through the walls. But I saw children playing freely on the earthen porch. Secretary and village chief Giang A Chong said: "Still poor, still very difficult, but without drugs, our village will be different."

In the eyes of the young party cell secretary, head of Giang A Chong village, the tragic memories of the days before 2021 are still persistently imprinted, tearing apart many unfortunate lives. Not because of harsh natural disasters, continuous floods burying houses, but because of drugs. Back then, drugs from across the border were as abundant as water in a lake high above, flowing into the village. People could buy drugs more easily than buy a bunch of vegetables or a piece of meat at the district market. Nothing could stand in the "storm" of drugs, from fields, buffaloes, cows, money, peaceful life, to even freedom and life.

At that time, people only spent about 10 thousand dong to buy a pill of drugs from the other side of the border to satisfy their high. Living in the green forests and red mountains, food was hard to come by, and having to earn money to keep company with the hibiscus, in no time the young Mong men had to sell themselves to the devil, listening to the "big brothers" and "bosses" who went to the other side of the border to transport "white goods" to the village, then brought them downstream to sell.

Not only On, in this border area, before 2020, people could count with their fingers the number of drug hotspots and complex drug points. No one could count how many "heavenly creatures" were in and out of prison, released from prison and "returned to their old ways", spreading white death to their fellow human beings and pushing their own flesh and blood into the extreme of crime. In particular, in Ta Com village, Trung Ly commune, nearly half of the men and women of good physical condition were addicted to drugs, or participated in buying, selling, and transporting drugs. When seeing the police force, those damned addicts were ready to listen to the call of death, blindly taking up arms to fight back...

Having rolled around and shed blood in the fight against crimes, and then directly commanded many major cases, Lieutenant Colonel Le Khac Minh, Head of the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department (Provincial Police) understands very well the routes, transportation routes, methods, tricks of crime and even the "operating mechanism" of this type of crime. When the demand is very high from thousands of drug addicts in urban areas and the lowlands, those deadly trafficking rings still have a place to live. According to statistics, before 2020, the amount of drugs smuggled from Laos into Thanh Hoa accounted for 80% of the total amount of drugs the province fought to seize.

Lieutenant Colonel Minh analyzed: “It will be impossible to prevent drug crimes if we only rely on the functional forces. This fight requires the effective and practical coordination of Party committees and authorities at all levels and the active participation of the people to mobilize forces and create a widespread movement. In which, the police force plays a leading and core role.”

Finding the “knot” to untie, scientific, methodical and drastic methods were born in the spirit of Directive No. 36-CT/TW of the Politburo on “Strengthening and improving the effectiveness of drug prevention, control and combat”. In addition to the work of advising and mobilizing the forces of the whole society, the police force has focused on effectively implementing the breakthrough: “Improving the effectiveness of basic investigations in 5 areas and drug prevention and control in 3 layers on the Thanh Hoa - Hua Phan route”. These are also plans and solutions to “block supply, reduce demand”, both strictly managing the number of existing addicts and uncompromisingly fighting, suppressing, and attacking the dens of inter-provincial and transnational drug rings in both the periphery, border and inland...

Since then, the "big brothers" and "bosses" have been caught one after another. The villages of On, Ta Com, Kham 2... and all the drug hotspots and complex points in the border area have been transformed, returning to their original peacefulness and tranquility. From 2022 to the beginning of this year, officers and soldiers of the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department of the Provincial Police have fought and solved more than 150 very serious and extremely serious cases, dismantled 52 major projects, dismantled 52 inter-provincial and transnational drug trafficking and transportation rings, seized 60kg of heroin, more than 200kg of synthetic drugs, more than 40 guns, nearly 500 bullets... This is an especially outstanding achievement, not only affirming the bravery, iron will, and uncompromising spirit in the fight against drug crimes but also contributing to creating the "brand" of Thanh Hoa Police.

Typically, in December 2023, Thanh Hoa Provincial Police and Hua Phan Provincial Police successfully broke up a joint project codenamed VA01, arresting Va Po Vu (born in 1995), a Laotian national, the leader of a drug production and trafficking ring from the Golden Triangle to Vietnam for consumption. The seized exhibits included equipment and supplies for a whole drug production "factory" and 4 heroin cakes, 24,000 pink pills. Or in Project 724D, in August 2024, the drug crime investigation police force took the lead in coordinating with functional forces to dismantle a transnational drug trafficking and transportation ring, arresting 5 subjects, seizing more than 42kg of synthetic drugs, 30,000 pink pills and 1kg of crystal meth...

It is difficult to recount all the special cases and battles of the Thanh Hoa Police Department's drug crime investigation force. We only know that, after those silent victories, many border drug "capitals" were transformed and returned to peace. And that peace was resolutely snatched back from the aggressive, cold-blooded thugs who used guns to fiercely fight back against officers and soldiers in order to continue committing crimes. But to win, many times, many officers and soldiers had to face danger to their lives. Many of them were injured, or had to be treated for HIV exposure...

Lieutenant Colonel Le Khac Minh confided: “Although there are still many dangers and hardships ahead, because drug criminals constantly change their methods, behaviors, and tricks of committing crimes, in this fight, the police force investigating drug crimes is no longer alone. With the support and determination of Party committees and authorities at all levels and the spirit of fighting and denouncing crimes of the masses, Thanh Hoa will maintain its achievements in the fight against this type of crime.”

Notes by Do Duc

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/anh-sang-o-phia-sau-lung-257181.htm