Drug traps surround young people - Part 4: Joining hands to push back drugs

In recent times, the authorities have been engaged in a fierce battle, fighting to destroy and cut off every link in the chain of drug trafficking and transportation. Many places that organized and used illegal drugs were also eliminated. Along with that, the entire political system has been involved in propagating and educating young people to stay away from drugs, and in programs to help addicts find their way back to the good path...

Báo Thái Nguyên•17/04/2025

“Regardless of day or night, sun or rain, as soon as there is an order, we will set out” - the simple yet arduous sharing of Major Do Truong Giang, an officer of the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department (Provincial Police), describes the dangerous journey that he and his teammates have gone through. On each path, their silent footsteps still tirelessly follow the traces of “white death”. Rushing into danger is the mission they have chosen.

Major Giang recounted the case on December 19, 2023, in a hidden corner of Thang Loi Ward, Song Cong City, a major drug "deal" that the officers had busted. Luong Thai San - a heavy drug addict with a criminal record and HIV - was caught red-handed while preparing to deliver 2 cakes of Heroin and more than 11,000 pink pills. That was the result of more than three months of detectives secretly monitoring, ambushing, and tracking down even the smallest traces.

San is no stranger to the world of “white goods” trafficking. Permanently residing in Tien Phong commune, Que Phong district, Nghe An province, San has been addicted to drugs for many years, is HIV positive, has a criminal record and is a “famous” person in the illegal substance trafficking business. He is stubborn, cunning, changing delivery methods like changing clothes: changing phones, changing routes, operating mainly at night and always keeping weapons ready for each life-or-death “transaction”.

From San's scattered testimony, a new investigation was launched by the task force. It took more than 5 months of uncovering each clue before the detectives found Lang Van Giang - San's accomplice - and successfully captured him in Que Phong district, Nghe An province.

This achievement is the result of sweat, perseverance, and courage that the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department (Provincial Police) is always happy and proud of, because after each arrest, it is a time to regain youth, helping many people escape the "sinful embrace" of drugs.

In recent times, with the persistence and determination of the authorities, many sophisticated networks using social networks as a means of transaction have been dismantled. Each case and project is a challenging journey, as the subjects become increasingly dangerous and reckless, and their methods become increasingly sophisticated and daring. Some projects take years to investigate and pursue before they are successful.

Just because of his desire to get rich quickly, Phan Van Ban (born in 1996, from Van Coi village, Muong Coi commune, Phu Yen district, Son La province) was sentenced to death when he was not yet 30 years old.

In 2020, while working at a small restaurant in Chieng Khuong commune (Song Ma district, Son La province), Ban met Nguyen Thi Hai, residing in Trung Thanh ward (Pho Yen city). Realizing that Hai had a need to buy drugs and was harboring the dream of "changing her life" through crime, Ban ordered drugs to sell to Hai three times. The total amount of drugs Ban sold was up to 42 Heroin cakes and 60 bags of synthetic drugs - a number that makes anyone who hears it shudder.

To fool the authorities, the drugs were disguised in bags of agricultural products, then sent by bus from Son La to Thai Nguyen . The first shipments were successful, but in the end, Ban could not escape the net of drug detectives. So, before he could see any wealth, Ban ended his youth, his faith and his own future. In his hometown, the greatest pain was for those who stayed behind. Parents gave birth to their children, raised them day by day, hoping for a peaceful life, but they could not have imagined...

Also due to greed and the desire to make quick money, Lo Van Huy (born in 1992, in Muong Ang district, Dien Bien province) brought 7 heroin cakes to a motel in Song Cong city to meet Tran Van Tan (born in 1996, in Ky Phu commune, Dai Tu) to find a place to sell. However, before the two could sell, they were discovered and caught red-handed by the working group of the Investigation Police Agency of Thai Nguyen province.

The case was brought to trial, and both Huy and Tan received the death penalty for spreading “white death” to the community. But behind the sentence was a heartbreaking reality: Tan passed away forever, leaving behind his young wife and two children, only 9 and 7 years old.

Not only are the crimes of buying, selling, and illegally transporting drugs strictly punished, but the acts of organizing and illegally using drugs also receive very heavy penalties. In many cases, just because of the "impulsive" desire to show off and follow the trend, many young people have had to receive "bitter consequences".

A typical case involves the illegal use of narcotics at two Lang Viet eco-business establishments in Thai Nguyen City owned by Pham Quoc Vuong. Among the 42 defendants, Vuong received a sentence of 9 years and 6 months in prison for “Organizing illegal use of narcotics”. Most of the other defendants received sentences of 7-10 years in prison for “Organizing illegal use of narcotics” and “Illegal possession of narcotics”. Others were sentenced for both “Illegal trading of narcotics” and “Organizing illegal use of narcotics” with the highest sentence of 15-16 years in prison.

Or in the case of organizing illegal drug use at a hotel in Thai Nguyen City related to Nguyen Duc Cuong (born in 1997) that we mentioned in article 1. Accordingly, just because of having too much fun, organizing drug use with a group of friends on his wife's birthday, Cuong received a sentence of 7 years in prison. 7 years behind bars also means that Cuong did not fulfill his duties as a son, a husband, especially a father to two young children (7 years old and 2 years old).

More heartbreaking is the case of “illegal drug trafficking” involving three young men, including two defendants who are students in Dong Hy district, Thai Nguyen city, which was just tried by the People’s Court of Thai Nguyen city in February 2025.

When the sentence of 7 years and 3 months and 8 years and 3 months in prison was announced for the two students, sighs and even tears were heard from their relatives. Instead of being happy with their dream of a career and family by the blackboard and white chalk, they now sit quietly in prison, with anxiety and confusion about tomorrow.

To prevent drugs from penetrating young people, in addition to the drastic participation of functional forces in fighting and handling drug crimes, Thai Nguyen province has deployed a series of solutions.

Campaigns such as "Youth say no to drugs" and "Drug-free schools" have been launched in an effort to prevent drugs from entering schools. Not just mere slogans, this program spreads to every school and every residential area, so that people, especially children, understand the harmful effects of drugs and always say no to drugs, not to use drugs even once.

Along with propaganda work and large-scale raids to destroy drug trafficking and transportation lines, and implement the drug prevention and control program for the 2021-2025 period in the area, Thai Nguyen province also focuses on supporting addicts to escape the darkness of drugs to find an honest path.

Rehabilitation centers are not only places to help them overcome addiction, but also become a support with vocational training programs, psychological counseling and life reorientation.

In fact, at the Thai Nguyen Provincial Drug Rehabilitation Center, where hundreds of addicts are regularly treated, we encountered a different atmosphere - peaceful and full of hope. In the green campus, groups of students divided into labor groups: some took care of vegetables, others folded paper bags, made wigs, made brooms... Seeing us, they happily greeted us.

According to the management staff, in 2024, the facility received more than 500 people - double the assigned target, of which 484 people were detoxified, 181 people were identified as addicted. The facility also examined and treated more than 4,800 patients. In addition to detoxification treatment, students are also taught a profession so that after reintegrating into the community, they have more opportunities to find jobs and make ends meet.

Besides the involvement of the authorities, to stay away from drug abuse, the most important thing is still the families and the children themselves. Every parent should be close and closely monitor and educate their children to stay away from drug abuse. At the same time, actively participate in the fight against and denounce drug-related crimes.

If parents discover that their children are addicted to drugs, they need to encourage them to go to a rehabilitation facility to help them quit drugs and start a new life soon. And especially every teenager, create for themselves a strong dose of resistance to say no to drugs, not to try them even once.