Undeterred by dangerous drug criminals.

Unlike the image I had of a tall, muscular border guard officer with a tanned complexion from years of climbing mountains and crossing streams, enduring rain and eating meager rations while on stakeouts and pursuing drug suspects in the remote, dangerous jungles, Captain Vu Van Cuong particularly caught our attention with his gentle voice and handsome, scholarly face...

He and his teammates had just spent two sleepless nights undercover in the border area, monitoring the movements of suspects transporting and trading "white death" (heroin) in a newly established case. On each such mission, their equipment, besides weapons and gear, consisted only of dried rations, rice balls, minced meat, and instant noodles; from the second day onwards, they mainly obtained water from streams and wild banana tree trunks... Due to the nature of their duties, in some months, border guards spend more time sleeping in makeshift tents and in the forest while conducting "case-fighting" operations along the border than they do working at their unit. Yet, everyone looks healthy, strong, and full of optimism. Perhaps it is the harsh environment and the heavy, dangerous tasks that have forged such extraordinary resilience in them.

"You look so bookish, yet you're so good at solving drug cases!" I said cheerfully after a friendly handshake with Captain Vu Van Cuong.

"I wouldn't dare claim to be the best. This is a collective achievement of the unit's members; I only contributed a small part," Captain Vu Van Cuong humbly replied, his eyes bright and expressive.

Captain Vu Van Cuong (center) and his teammates subdue and arrest a drug suspect. Photo provided by the subject.

Our conversation was intimate and open from the very beginning. The young border guard officer recounted that he was born into a farming family in Dinh Thanh commune, Yen Dinh district, Thanh Hoa province. Stories from his grandparents about serving as a civilian laborer, transporting rice for the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, nurtured his soul from a young age. From then on, his dream of becoming a soldier grew stronger and became the driving force behind Vu Van Cuong's hard work and high score in the entrance exam to the Border Guard Academy in 2011.

After graduating in 2015, Lieutenant Vu Van Cuong was assigned to the Dien Bien Provincial Border Guard Command, holding various positions: Team Leader of the Anti-Drug and Crime Prevention Team, Si Pha Phin Border Guard Post; Investigating officer, Anti-Drug and Crime Prevention Task Force, Anti-Drug and Crime Prevention Department, Dien Bien Provincial Border Guard Command; Team Leader of the Anti-Drug and Crime Prevention Team, Pa Thom Border Guard Post, Dien Bien Provincial Border Guard Command; Deputy Head of Operations, Si Pha Phin Border Guard Post.

Entrusted by his superiors with the task of investigating and combating drug crimes, Vu Van Cuong was always deeply concerned about how to quickly familiarize himself with the work, master the profession, and promptly work with his colleagues to prevent and arrest those who traffic and spread "white death," contributing to protecting the peaceful lives of the people. Therefore, he took advantage of every opportunity to proactively self-study, research, and improve his expertise, actively learning from experienced colleagues, and especially cultivating an exemplary and meticulous work style.

Undeterred by dangerous drug criminals. The suspect was arrested by the Dien Bien Provincial Border Guard for illegally possessing drugs. (Photo provided by the suspect)

From October 2022 to the present, drawing on his accumulated experience, Captain Vu Van Cuong has proactively advised the Party Committee and unit commanders on implementing various measures to combat drug crimes, tailored to the local context and yielding significant results. In 2022 alone, he directly investigated, uncovered, and participated in the arrest and prosecution of 17 cases involving 25 individuals, including 6 provincial-level cases, 8 provincial-level cases, and 3 district-level cases. Typical examples include special cases DB1221P.2, DB122B, DB622, A222, which resulted in the seizure of over 264,600 synthetic drug pills, 190 blocks of heroin, over 390 grams of heroin, and 6 kg of opium... With a proactive spirit and sharp, professional skills, Captain Vu Van Cuong directly participated in many major drug cases, contributing to the establishment, fight against, and successful dismantling of many transnational drug trafficking and trading networks.

He vividly remembers the operation of Special Case DB1221P.2, during the peak period of crime suppression before, during, and after the Lunar New Year of the Tiger 2022. Through intelligence gathering, at the end of 2021, Mr. Cuong discovered a large-scale drug trafficking ring transporting narcotics from northern Laos through Dien Bien province to Lai Chau for distribution. After seven days and nights of covert surveillance at the Nam He village intersection, Muong Tung commune (Muong Cha district, Dien Bien province), at 4:45 AM on February 3, 2022 (the third day of the Lunar New Year), Mr. Cuong and his colleagues caught Chang A Ma, born in 1992, residing in Chung Chai commune (Muong Nha district, Dien Bien province), red-handed transporting 72 blocks of heroin hidden in cardboard boxes tied to the luggage rack on a motorbike.

Undeterred by dangerous drug criminals. Captain Vu Van Cuong with local residents. Photo provided by the subject.

Through hundreds of drug cases and investigations, each time Captain Vu Van Cuong participated in an operation, it left him with many special emotions. For example, during the operation of Special Case DB223, he was assigned to command the main arrest team and directly, along with his teammates, ambushed and arrested three individuals illegally transporting drugs across the border from Laos into Vietnam.

- During the operation, my teammates and I spent many days in ambushing in the rugged mountainous terrain, enduring rain, cold, and countless mosquitoes and leeches. We encouraged each other to persevere and refused to leave our positions. At dawn on February 25, 2023, near milestone 106 in Thanh Chan commune, Dien Bien district, Dien Bien province, we spotted three suspected drug traffickers entering our ambush. We quickly moved in. Immediately, the lead suspect recklessly resisted, aiming his muzzle-loading rifle directly at me and my teammates. In that instant, I kicked the gun out of his hand before he could pull the trigger and simultaneously tackled him to the ground. The other two pulled out knives and frantically tried to escape, but were subdued. Upon inspection, the three were found to be carrying 7 blocks of heroin and 1 kg of synthetic drugs. "If I had been even a split second slower, I probably wouldn't be here to talk to you now," Captain Vu Van Cuong said with a gentle smile after recounting the memorable incident.

Recently, at approximately 7:15 PM on April 5th, shortly after receiving the title of Outstanding Young Vietnamese of 2023 and returning to his unit, in De Bua village, Phin Ho commune, Nam Po district, Dien Bien province, the anti-drug and crime prevention force of Si Pha Phin Border Guard Post, led by Captain Vu Van Cuong, along with the Anti-Drug and Crime Prevention Department of Dien Bien Provincial Border Guard, coordinated with Nam Ke Border Guard Post to arrest Thao A Gia, residing in Tram Pung village, Quang Lam commune, Muong Nha district, Dien Bien province, while he was transporting 120,000 synthetic drug pills. Expanding the investigation and pursuit, at 8 PM the same day, the authorities arrested a related suspect, Lieu A Sua, while he was hiding in the Vietnam-Laos border area.

To effectively combat drug crime, Captain Vu Van Cuong shared that he and his colleagues always actively build a network, closely monitor the area, and proactively study files and legal documents on drug prevention and control along the border. He also performs well in basic professional work, criminal investigation in assigned areas; gathering information, investigating, verifying, and combating drug trafficking rings and groups, as well as other types of crime in border areas and border corridors... According to Captain Vu Van Cuong, the most important thing is to constantly improve professional skills and hone the skills of apprehending and subduing drug trafficking suspects. This is because the suspects are extremely aggressive and reckless, ready to use "hot" weapons to resist law enforcement in order to escape; Without courage, quick thinking, and close coordination, it would endanger both one's own life and that of colleagues, and would fail to apprehend the suspect, impacting ongoing investigations and cases...

Colonel Nham Van Manh, Political Commissar of the Dien Bien Provincial Border Guard, affirmed: "Captain Vu Van Cuong is a young, enthusiastic officer, highly skilled in his profession, and energetic in all aspects of his work. He has achieved many outstanding accomplishments in investigating and dismantling many complex drug cases, making an important contribution to preventing the activities of drug-related crimes and social evils in Dien Bien province."

While chatting with officers and soldiers at the Si Pha Phin Border Guard Post, I heard many compliments about Captain Vu Van Cuong, describing him as an exemplary, humble, approachable, and sociable officer. In particular, while he is strong and serious on the front lines of the fight against drug trafficking, he is equally gentle, caring, and dedicated when implementing the "3 clings, 4 together" principle (clinging to the unit, clinging to the locality, clinging to policies and guidelines; eating together, living together, working together, and speaking the local language) with the people. Understanding the difficulties faced by the local people, he often studies and learns more about agriculture in his free time to advise and help them choose crops and livestock suitable to the local climate and soil conditions. Thanks to Captain Cuong's advice, support, and assistance, many households have escaped poverty and achieved stable livelihoods.

BOX: With outstanding achievements in his work, Captain Vu Van Cuong has been awarded many prestigious awards. In 2022, he was awarded the Third-Class Military Merit Medal by the President of Vietnam. In 2023, he was one of 67 exemplary individuals nationwide in studying and following the ideology, ethics, and style of Ho Chi Minh, and was awarded the Ho Chi Minh Badge; he was also one of the 10 Outstanding Young Faces of the Border Guard, Outstanding Young Faces of the entire army, and Outstanding Young Faces of Vietnam in 2023.

Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/phong-su-dieu-tra/cuoc-thi-nhung-tam-guong-binh-di-ma-cao-quy-lan-thu-15/khong-chun-buoc-truoc-toi-pham-ma-tuy-nguy-hiem-787556