Pressure from "hot" numbers
On April 24, 2026, in Ninh Binh, the Customs Department organized a Conference to deploy the National Target Program on Drug Prevention and Control to 2030 and strengthen precursor control in 2026 in the Northern region.
The conference was chaired by Deputy Director of the Customs Department Luu Manh Tuong. Attending the conference were representatives of the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department (C04) - Ministry of Public Security; Department of National Defense and Security (Ministry of Finance) and leaders and civil servants from 11 Northern Regional Customs Sub-Departments.
This event is not only aimed at unifying actions throughout the industry but also a platform to tighten key routes, improve the capacity to respond to increasingly sophisticated criminal tricks. The focus of the conference is to thoroughly grasp the contents of the National Target Program on Drug Prevention and Control to 2030 approved by the National Assembly, and at the same time concretize the responsibilities of the Customs force in inter-sectoral coordination projects.
Assessments at the conference showed that the drug crime situation is developing extremely complicatedly. Subjects currently thoroughly take advantage of import and export activities, e-commerce, express delivery and international transport routes to commit illegal acts.
Statistics show direct pressure on functional forces. In 2025, the Customs sector presided over and coordinated to arrest 204 cases with 295 subjects, seizing about 2.7 tons of drugs. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, the entire sector continued to detect 46 cases with 58 subjects, seizing more than 244 kg of drugs of all kinds.
In addition, delegates also discussed in depth the loopholes in the management of chemicals and precursors, and proposed solutions to prevent the abuse of legal commercial activities to smuggle precursors into drug production.
Decisive direction from the front line
Speaking to direct, Deputy Director Luu Manh Tuong emphasized the requirement that the entire sector must promote the role of the frontline force, strengthen the collection and analysis of information, assess risks; strictly control key routes, areas, subjects and items; and at the same time promote inter-sectoral coordination and improve the effectiveness of controlling legal activities related to drugs and precursors.
Concluding the conference, leaders of the Customs Department requested units to urgently develop specific action plans and deploy them synchronously to effectively implement national goals by 2030. The ultimate goal is to maintain social security, while creating a transparent and safe environment for legitimate commercial activities.
