Breaking up the largest synthetic drug factory ever, seizing 1.4 tons of ketamine

Drug factory destroyed by police

On the afternoon of March 26, the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department ( Ministry of Public Security ) held a conference to provide information on the results of the fight against and destruction of a criminal organization illegally producing synthetic drugs in Khanh Hoa.

Renting cemetery land for drug production

Previously, through promoting and strengthening international cooperation, in August 2024, from information exchanged by the Chinese side about two subjects who had a history of being involved in illegal drug production in China, who had left for Vietnam with a large shipment of glass tubes transported into our country, suspected of being involved in illegal drug production activities, with professional acumen and experience in fighting special cases on illegal drug production and trafficking, the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department assigned detectives to collect documents and verify and clarify.

After a 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 network, 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 a project and monitoring all movements of the subjects, the Department of Drug Crime Investigation has built a diagram and the roles of the subjects in the network.

The ringleader is Truong Xuan Minh, 51 years old, Taiwanese (China) nationality. 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 1,000 m2 plot of land in the Northern Cemetery, Vinh Luong Commune, Nha Trang. This is a remote area with few people passing by and difficult access. Minh assigned people to guard, installed surveillance cameras, and raised dogs to detect intruders. To gather materials, chemicals, and related equipment, Minh rented an additional 300 m2 plot of land over 3km from the facility.

Deputy Minister of Public Security Nguyen Van Long (white shirt) inspects the scene

Modern equipment line, advanced technology

After renting the land, Minh hired 2 Chinese people and 4 Vietnamese people to construct and build the facility, install a 3-phase electrical system, buy a generator, and also installed drug production lines, including 7 large-capacity reactor and refrigeration systems, centrifuges, odor treatment machines, vacuum pumps, and water filters.

At the end of January 2025, the factory was completed, the subjects transferred raw materials and chemicals and started production phase one. 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 stage was about 1.8 tons of yellow powder, which the subjects packed into 27 foam boxes, then sent to a cold storage in Nha Trang. At the same time, they announced a halt to production and let the subjects go home. At this stage, the subjects created a cover for producing foaming agents for wastewater treatment.

Just a few days later, Minh recruited four other people and hired two Taiwanese (Chinese) people with drug production skills to continue the second phase. Minh bought many military pots, cotton, plastic baskets, and industrial gas stoves.

The finished products in phase one were brought to the factory, solvents were added, and they were continuously heated on a gas stove. They were then filtered through a layer of cotton to create sediment and then centrifuged to produce a white powder. Next, the subjects took them to the warehouse at 47 Cat Loi, Nha Trang City to carry out the final stage to produce pure ketamine.

All activities were carried out mainly at night until dawn and over several days.

It is determined that the subjects have produced drugs. If they complete the production, they will temporarily stop their activities and return to their country, so it is necessary to solve the case.

Determining a favorable opportunity, the Task Force decided to crack the case. The Drug Crime Investigation Police Department reported to the leaders of the Ministry of Public Security to allow the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department to coordinate with the Khanh Hoa Provincial Police, the Institute of Criminal Science, the Department of Technical Services (Ministry of Public Security), the Khanh Hoa Provincial Customs Department, the Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department, the Customs Department (Ministry of Finance), Department 4 - Supreme People's Procuracy to crack the case.

Subjects arrested while illegally producing drugs

As a result, at around 0:00 on March 22, nearly 200 officers and soldiers simultaneously attacked and arrested subjects who were illegally producing drugs.

At the production facility, 118 kg of finished ketamine, 160 liters of ketamine solution, 17 tons of chemicals, along with production lines and equipment for drug production were seized.

At the warehouse at 47 Cat Loi, about 90 kg of ketamine, 270 liters of solution and production lines and equipment for drug production were seized.

At the warehouse in Vinh Phuong commune, about 57 tons of chemicals and 380 liters of gas were seized. 16 subjects related to this criminal organization were detained.

To date, the investigation agency has seized 1.4 tons of ketamine with very high purity, along with nearly 80 tons of chemicals, sufficient grounds to temporarily detain 9 subjects, including 4 Chinese subjects, 3 Taiwanese subjects (China), 2 Vietnamese subjects. The subjects admitted to the act of illegally producing drugs. The case is currently being further investigated to clarify.

According to Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Vien, Director of the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department, this is a synthetic drug manufacturing factory with an exceptionally large scale, modern equipment lines, and advanced technology, the largest in Vietnam to be destroyed to date.

In particular, the purest narcotic products are produced by highly skilled individuals and no small amount of narcotics from this factory has been sold outside the Vietnamese market or transported for sale.

Police seized finished drug products

Given the complexity of the case, on the afternoon of March 24, Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Long, Deputy Minister and Head of the Ministry of Public Security's Investigation Police Agency, 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, Deputy Minister of Public Security, presented the Ministry of Public Security's bonus decision to 20 groups. Comrade Nguyen Tan Tuan, Chairman of Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee, presented the bonus decision of Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee to 5 groups with outstanding achievements in fighting the special case.

Recognizing the exceptionally 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.

Thu Giang

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/pha-cong-xuong-san-xuat-ma-tuy-tong-hop-lon-nhat-tu-truoc-den-nay-thu-giu-14-tan-ketamine-102250326163140604.htm