Hanoi police crack down on inter-provincial drug trafficking ring

Ma Tuan Hung (31, Thai Nguyen city, Thai Nguyen province) alledgedly asked Trang A Trang (38, Mai Chau district, Hoa Binh province) and Song Thi Do (40, Van Ho district, Son La province) to make the short trip to Laos to buy drugs and sell them to him, police said on November 22.

Trang alledgely told Hung that each heroin brick, weighing about 350 grams, is priced at about VND155 million (US$6,870). Hung agreed to buy heroin and planned to receive the drugs on Thang Long Avenue in Nam Tu Liem district.

On October 29, 2016, Trang and Do drove a car from Hoa Binh to Hanoi to hand over the heroin to Hung. When they arrived in Thang Long Avenue, they were stopped by local police.

Police found 20 heroin bricks weighing a total of 7kg hidden in the car.

All three were taken into custody.

The ring earlier had transported drugs through Son La, Hoa Binh, Hanoi, Thai Nguyen and Haiphong city. Police have launched criminal proceedings against them.

This drug trafficking ring was uncovered thanks to the investigation of Nguyen Duc The, another drug trafficker.

The, 41, was detained in September while transporting 20 heroin bricks and more than 17,000 synthetic drug pills by coach.

Police in Nam Tu Liem district are continuing the investigation.