Minister To Lam affirms police’s determination to fight drug crime

• Ministerial meeting issues joint statement on drug crime combat
• Vietnam hosts international conference on enhancing cooperation in combating transnational drug crimes opens

General To Lam, Politburo member and Minister of Public Security

Reporter: What do you think about need for international cooperation in drug prevention and control?

Minister To Lam: Drug crime has been one of the non-traditional security threats that require cooperation and joint effort of the international community. No country can resolve such an issue by its own without cooperating with other countries. Therefore, international cooperation in the fight against drug crime is an urgent and crucial demand.

Facing new challenges in the fight against drug crimes, the Party, the State and the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) of Vietnam regularly direct responsible forces to effectively prevent and resolutely fight drug crime while attaching great importance to international cooperation in this field. Vietnam has expanded bilateral and multilateral cooperation on drug prevention and fight with countries in the Mekong sub-region, ASEAN countries, and countries sharing its borders, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

The MPS of Vietnam has initiated to host the Ministerial Conference on Enhancing the Cooperation Effectiveness in Combating Transnational Drug Crime to show the strong commitment and responsibility for the regional issue of the country as the ASEAN Chair in 2020 and call other countries to cooperate in this field.

Reporter: Since the beginning of 2019, the Vietnamese anti-drug police force has cracked down on a number of large transnational drug cases. Could you elaborate on the exploits of the police force?

Minister To Lam: Since the beginning of 2019, the police force of Vietnam has investigated some 17,000 drug cases and arrested 26,000 persons involved, seized a great amount of drugs of various kinds. These figures show the great effort of the People’s Police Force and its close cooperation and effective coordination with domestic and foreign functional forces. Additionally, the Vietnamese police force has received great support from the people.

The achievements of the police force has contributed to reducing domestic drug supplies and the amount of drugs trafficked into Vietnam, ensuring domestic security and order, creating a good environment for socio-economic development of the country, and promoting stability security and development in the region.

Reporter: To achieve such good victories, the police force has suffered various losses. Could you please elaborate on this?

Minister To Lam: The fight of drug crimes is always fierce; as a result, a number of police officers laid down their lives even in peacetime.

Since 1997, 18 police officers have been killed while many others have been injured or exposed with HIV during the fight against drug crimes. Most of the fallen police officers were still very young. Their deaths have left great pains and losses to their families and teammates. Their fallen police officers have represented the loyalty to the Party, State and people, the spirit of undaunted and uncompromising struggle of the police force against drug crimes.

The MPS has determined that drug crime is a threat to national security, and causes various complex consequences to social order and security. The police force is still facing various difficulties and challenges in prevention and fight against drug crime in the context that drug crime grows and becomes increasingly complex in Vietnam, as well as in the region and the world.

With its strong commitment and high responsibility to the Party, the State and the people, the police force will continue to promote its solidarity, overcome any difficulties and hardships, and build an increasingly modern, regular and elite force to effectively prevent and fight drug crime, contributing to peace and happiness for the people.