At a bilateral ministerial meeting to enhance cooperation in combating crimes, maintaining social order, and tackling drug-related issues between the Vietnamese and Lao Ministries of Public Security in Hanoi on October 14. (Photo: VNA)

In 2022, the two nations' police forces collaborated on three joint cases led by Vietnam’s criminal investigation department on drug-related crimes (C04) and the police of the Vietnamese northwestern mountainous border province of Dien Bien.

Last year, they tackled five joint cases, and since the beginning of 2024, they have investigated six more together. The most notable case this year was the dismantling of a major ring trafficking drugs from Cambodia and Laos to Ho Chi Minh City, which led to the arrest of eight suspects and the seizure of 210 kilograms of MDMA and Ketamine.

The two ministries highlighted that since the signing of the MoU three years ago, their drug control cooperation has been intensified at various levels. Their four-tier hotline network, connecting ministries, provinces, districts, and communes, has been established, serving as a crucial channel for coordination in drug control activities.

At the meeting, the two sides signed an agreement on crime prevention and ensuring social order and an MoU on drug control cooperation.

Concerning future directions to strengthen collaboration, the ministries are set to continue safeguarding security in Vietnamese and Lao localities sharing the borderline, participate in multilateral crime prevention forums such as INTERPOL and ASEANAPOL, and enhance cooperation in training and experience exchange. They will also work on expanding combined traffic and drug control checkpoints along the borderline, among many other joint activities.