Pushing back the "white death" in the border area

Subject Ha Van Khue and evidence of case TH-1224.

Considered the “nemesis” of drug criminals, Lieutenant Colonel Dao Van Thu, Captain of the Drug and Crime Prevention Task Force, Border Guard Command of Thanh Hoa Province, has been involved in many projects, big and small. For him, each project has its own hardships and dangers, along with painful lessons.

With the specific task of fighting against drug crimes, having to go through many difficulties and dangers, Lieutenant Colonel Dao Van Thu always maintains his political will, determines his tasks well, does not let any type of subjects bribe, collude, threaten and absolutely does not falter in the face of crime. Actively and proactively deploys synchronous professional measures, grasps the situation, detects subjects and lines related to transnational drug crimes, advises the department commander to report to the Command to establish and successfully fight many projects and cases. Accordingly, Lieutenant Colonel Dao Van Thu directly participated in the successful fight against 30/31 projects and many cases established by the Thanh Hoa Border Guard Command as well as coordinated with other forces to establish and fight; arrests hundreds of subjects, seizes a large amount of drugs of all kinds and many other related exhibits.

In a number of major projects, Lieutenant Colonel Dao Van Thu was entrusted by his superiors with the task of directly infiltrating deep into the networks and groups to investigate and verify the role and position of each subject, the rules, methods and tricks of operation, time, place of delivery and receipt, direction of drug transportation, weapons and means of resistance when discovered and arrested...; the process of carrying out the task encountered many difficulties and life-threatening dangers. Typically: Project TH423 was established on April 14, 2023. During the investigation and verification process, the subjects were very sophisticated, always changing the time and place of drug delivery and receipt. They regularly checked, challenged, and controlled, but Lieutenant Colonel Thu was calm, persistent, flexible, skillful, creative, and determined to force the subjects to reveal their criminal acts. During the process of solving the case, the subject used weapons to fight back fiercely, but with a determined spirit of attacking criminals, Lieutenant Colonel Thu and his teammates successfully arrested 2 subjects, seized 15,000 synthetic drug pills and 1 sharp knife. Project TH 823 was established on August 24, 2023. He and his teammates and the coordinating forces successfully broke the case, arrested 1 Laotian subject, seized 22,400 synthetic drug pills, 12 heroin cakes, 12kg of ketamine, 1 military pistol, 100 bullets. Project TH 124, established on January 31, 2024, he and his teammates and the coordinating forces successfully broke the case, arrested a Laotian subject, seized 24,000 synthetic drug pills...

Most recently, at 9:00 a.m. on March 14, 2025, at Nang 1 village, Muong Ly commune (Muong Lat), the force of the Drug and Crime Prevention Department of Thanh Hoa Border Guard in coordination with Tam Chung Border Guard Station and Hien Kiet Border Guard Station (Thanh Hoa Border Guard) caught red-handed Ha Van Khue, born in 1993, residing in Co Cai village, Trung Ly commune (Muong Lat) illegally transporting drugs, seizing 12,000 synthetic drug pills and 1 mobile phone. During the transportation, the subject disguised and hid drugs in agricultural product bags and frequently changed the means of transportation, sometimes walking, hitching a ride on a motorbike, or hitching a ride in a car to avoid the control of the authorities. When discovered and arrested, the subject fiercely resisted in an attempt to escape, but with professional measures, the working group quickly controlled and arrested the subject, ensuring absolute safety of people, equipment, and weapons.

Lieutenant Colonel Dao Van Thu said: "Drug criminals are all extremely reckless and dangerous subjects, always ready to use guns, grenades, and knives to fight back against the authorities when being surrounded and arrested. Preventing and fighting this type of crime means always having to face hardships, difficulties, and dangers. As a direct combatant, I always determined to resolutely attack and suppress, not tolerating drug criminals, regardless of conditions and circumstances, ensuring absolute safety in all aspects for my teammates and people, encouraging and motivating my brothers to excellently complete their tasks on the front line of attacking and suppressing this particularly dangerous type of crime, because behind me is the peace of the people."

In recent times, the situation of drug crimes has become complicated on the two border lines of the province. They operate with increasingly sophisticated, cunning and professional methods, forming organizations, networks and groups, using modern and high-tech means of communication to operate, always looking for ways to deal with the authorities. Notably, large drug trafficking and transportation lines into the country and to third countries, mainly originating from abroad, and smuggled across the border, are still operating strongly on key routes and areas; armed drug trafficking and transportation groups have appeared on the border lines, ready to fight back fiercely when discovered and arrested; The situation of buying, selling and transporting synthetic drugs and crystal meth is increasing, drug crime lines and organizations are organized and closely linked between the peripheral areas, border areas and the inland... Faced with the complicated situation of drug crimes in the area, to combat this type of crime, Thanh Hoa Border Guard has closely coordinated with the police and customs forces to promote propaganda and mobilization to raise awareness among the people in the border areas about the consequences and harms of drugs, actively participating in detecting, denouncing and fighting, preventing drug crimes. In 5 years (2019-2024), the drug and crime prevention force has investigated, arrested and handled 654 cases/839 criminals and law violators. Of which, 31 special projects were established, with evidence seized of 11.145 kg of crystal meth; 7.98 kg of ketamine; 244,254 synthetic drug pills, 15 heroin cakes; 24.31 kg of opium; 122 kg of opium fruit...

Colonel Pham Dinh Thuan, Head of the Drug and Crime Prevention Department, Thanh Hoa Border Guard, said: “The Drug and Crime Prevention Department has directly directed grassroots units to do a good job of grasping the situation of criminal activities and law violations in the internal and external borders, thereby proactively deploying forces and professional measures to effectively combat all types of crime, especially drug crimes, and promptly prevent the “white death” from entering the interior.”

Article and photos: Tuan Khoa

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/day-lui-cai-chet-trang-noi-mien-bien-vien-248552.htm