VN, Thailand head to further coordination in drug prevention, control

Thanks to the information from the Thai side, a number of drug trafficking cases were detected in Viet Nam. Remarkably, on May 11, 2019, four suspects from Chinese Taipei illegally transporting 507.5 kg of ketamine were arrested in Ho Chi Minh City. On August 7, 2019, a man from Senegal was uncovered while swallowing 77 tablets of cocaine, weighing nearly 1.6 kg.      

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese side also provided information about drug trafficking cases in Viet Nam relevant to Thailand and information about Vietnamese wanted people living in Thailand, asking for further coordination in investigating and arresting. 

In 1998, the Vietnamese and Thai governments signed the Bilateral Agreement on collaboration in drug, precursor substance and psychoactive substance prevention and control, which has created a stable legal foundation to promote comprehensive and effective cooperation in drug prevention and control. 

A number of activities have been held over the recent years including the alternate organization of the bilateral meeting on drug prevention and control, usual exchange of research delegations, organization of meetings, conferences and training courses to improve the capacity for legislative body on drug prevention and control and sharing information supporting for arresting drug traffickers. 

In the region, Thailand actively proposed the Master Plan (2019-2022) under the Safe Mekong Operation Project among 6 Countries, built the ASEAN drug prevention and control center and drug control working group through aviation. 

Remarkably, from 2015-2018, Thailand financed VND12.5 billion for Viet Nam in this field. Especially, in 2019, the Office of The Narcotics Control Board provided nearly VND3.2 billion for Viet Nam for equipping supporting tools for professional activities on Viet Nam-Laos border lines. 

Currently, Viet Nam has enhanced the establishment of the Safe Mekong Coordination Center (SMCC), making plans to host activities within the framework of the Safe Mekong Initiative on drug control and inviting country members, including ones from Thailand to Viet Nam to work at the SMCC in Viet Nam by the middle of 2020. 

Earlier on January 7, 2020, the Police Department for Drug-related Crimes under the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security held the 13th Viet Nam-Thailand bilateral conference on drug prevention and fight cooperation in Phu Quoc District, KienGiang Province.

In 2019, in implementing the Bilateral Minutes between Viet Nam and Thailand signed at the 12th bilateral conference on drug prevention and fight cooperation in Phuket, Thailand, the two sides coordinated in conducting various drug prevention and fight campaigns, and achieved many important results.

In order to further improve the effectiveness of drug prevention and fight cooperation in the coming time, the two sides agreed to continue to effectively implement the Bilateral Agreement on drug prevention and fight cooperation.

The two sides also agreed to work together to propose Action Plans for the two countries’ relevant forces, implement activities within the framework of the Letter of Agreement on cooperation in law enforcement and drug prevention and fight. 

The two sides also further information sharing and cooperation in fighting against drug-related crimes from afar, especially in controlling precursor substances while continuing to support each other at regional and global cooperation forums.

By Thuy Dung