Mountainous district of Mai Chau becomes peaceful again

• Hmong language course opens for drugs officers
• Tay Ninh Province and 3 Cambodian Provinces join efforts to control drugs-related crimes
• Huge amount of drugs seized in Dien Bien
• Brave and heroic officers and citizens in drug prevention honored

Hang Kia and Pa Co communes of Mai Chau are home mainly to people of the Hmong ethic group, who still preserve various traditional practices, according to Senior Colonel Nguyen Ngoc Minh, Chief of the Mai Chau District Police.

Due to some difficulties in life, a number of ethnic people were easily lured by criminals to drug trafficking activities. What is more, drug trafficking rings, including elderly people, women and children, were formed.

As a successful drug trafficking deal may be valued equivalently to the outcome of a year-long crop, many young ethnic men participated in drug-related crimes, said Vang A Tinh, an elderly in Hang Kia. It was estimated that there have been dozens of people under sentence of death, and hundreds of other offenders serving severe sentences, due to drug-related crimes, in Hang Kia commune alone.

A meeting to discuss professional tactics of Mai Chau police

Along with the fight against drug-related crimes, one of the long-term and strategic professional approaches is to expand the movement “All people protecting national security” at the grassroots level. Policemen should also work hard, foster close ties with local people and take care of them to gain their trust, love and support.

Accordingly, local police officers should enhance the “Three With People” approach, encourage and mobilize local elders and village chiefs, who with their prestige and reputation could mobilize the entire local people to denounce criminals, to tell their children and relatives to keep out of drug trafficking and other social evils, as well as to persuade local wanted suspects to give up themselves to the police or advice drug addicts to join voluntary treatment and detoxification courses.

Thanks to the joint efforts, 16 particularly dangerous wanted fugitives were voluntarily surrendered the police to be granted the clemency of the law; 3,000 home-made guns were seized, dozens of drug addicts have voluntarily joined detoxification and treatment courses in the hope of turning over a new leaf and becoming useful citizens to their families and society.