ENHANCING INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ON TRNSNATIONAL CRIME PREVENTION AND SUPPRESSION Pol.Gen.Maj. NGUYEN VIET THANH
Deputy General Director, Police General Department
Ministry of Public Security of S.R.V.
Mr. Chairman,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
On behalf of the Delegation of the Social Republic of Vietnam and myself, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my warmest greetings to Mr. Chairma and participants of the Seventh ACPF World Conference. We are here in New Delhi ? the capital of the beautiful India to prepare for the Seventh ACPF World Conference “The Effective Regional Co-operation in Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in the Next Millenium”. I wish all of you very good health and happiness. Wish our conference great success.
It is the same way with every country in the region that along with its development, besides the opportunities and advantages Vietnam has been coping with a lot of new hardships and challenges. One of those challenges is the situation of crimes in general and transnational crimes in particular. In comparison with other countries in the region and the world, the rate of crimes in Vietnam is only a mean one; but the trend of criminal activities seems to be increased and more complicated, especially the new dangerous crimes recently emerged in Vietnam such as: transnational drugs trafficking, firearms smuggling, money laundering, women and children trafficking, phantom ship, sea pirate, organized crimes and economic frauds etc.
1. RECENT ILLICIT DRUGS SITUATION IN VIETNAM Drugs issue in Vietnam, like other parts of the world as well as in the region, is not only the social evil and criminals, but also the main cause of poverty, ill health status in communities. And drugs also seriously threaten to the welfare, the developments and the social security of Vietnam during its process of renovation.
In Vietnam, opium is mainly provided form inland and from foreign countries. The narcotics source in Vietnam mainly is inland crude opium and some kinds of new pharmaceutical products having a narcotic nature. Previously, the opium plants in Vietnam grew in the mountainous areas in North Vietnam with a surface of about 19,000 ha. So far in Vietnam, approximately 90% of the opium plants was destroyed. The Government of Vietnam has allotment of average 30 ? 50 billions Vietnamese Dong per annum (equal to USD 25 ? 45 millions) for works and projects assisting communities for crop substitution and developing handicraft to generate new income sources. Since this is process based upon motivation, persuasion and voluntary decision, initial encouraging results have been achieved. Opium poppy cultivation areas have decreased dramatically, in some places production mechanism has been changed generating new stable income sources serving as good socio-economical model, which is acknowledged by the United Nations and the international community.
According to preliminary assessment, there are 97,000 of them are under treatments. Youth drug abusers increase dramatically, 70% drug abusers are under 30 yera of age, even under teenagers (juveniles). Forms of drug abuse are diverse and more dangerous including smoking, sniffing, drinking and injection which is the major source toy to HIV/AIDS transmission. Abuse drugs are not only opium but to synthetic drugs, psychotropic substances which are easy to use and very popular among school students.
There are 52 treatments and rehabilitation centers nationwide, some at provincial level and the rest are in the districts. Those centers have applied various treatment methods by using traditional medicines or psychotropic substances medicament as well as applying the community therapy, but the results are very limited.
Rate of cured drug addicts is 20 ? 30 %, or only about 10% in some places. Community and family based treatment are now applied, especially post-treatment care and rehabilitation in the families and communities showed encouraging results.
There are four factors that make Vietnam particularly vulnerable to international trafficking of illicit drugs:
(i) Its geographic location close to major opium and heroin producing areas.
(ii) Its long coastline and land borders which are extremely difficult to control.
(iii) The expansion of its international trade and its travel and tourist sector;
and
(iv) The lack of concise legislation and law enforcement personnel.
So far, opium is the main drug being trafficked in Vietnam, but Heroin trafficking is increasing. In recent years, Vietnam has experienced increasing problems of illicit drug trafficking. New regional and international developments in drug abuse and trafficking are also worrying. These include increased production and use of new types of synthetic drugs, the development of new drug trafficking routes and the growth of highly sophisticated international criminal networks. In 1998, 5347 drug cases included drug trafficking and drugs abuse were detected; 11,075 subjects were arrested; 34.94 kg of Heroin, 588.2 kg of opium, 39,470 doses of heroin for inhaling, and some cannabis were seized. Vietnam People’s Court has judged 2807 cases, which consists of 4306 criminals related to drugs, 59 subjects received death penalty and 35 subjects received life imprisonment.
Most of the cases happened in big cities, the bordering areas and on the main traffic routes. Noibai and Tan Son Nhat are two international airports of Vietnam, that are also the gate ways for drug traffickers. There are some new trends and modus operands in their activities. There is no doubt that, drug seizures are increasing especially the Heroin and Synthetic drug and Vietnam has been being a transit point. According to the results of investigations concerning drug seizures, it is indicated that though Heroin is being illegally imported to Vietnam from the Golden triangle, they all are not only used for Vietnamese addicts, but mainly for transit to other destinations in Europe, America, Australia...
On 31 July 1998, H.E. Prime Minister of Vietnam has issued Decision No. 139/TTg that approved the National Action Program 1998 ? 2000 with 6 fundamental measures:
- Push up educational and propaganda on drugs prevention and drugs suppression.
- Strictly control and rigorously manage over the precursor substances; concentrating on carrying out the alternative development program in order to eradicate the opium poppy cultivation.
- Boost up the activities that are related to anti narcotic drug criminals.
- Finalize and promulgate cooperation with other countries on narcotic drugs, precursor and chemical substances.
Crimes related to drugs are increasing while the outside sources of drugs brought into Vietnam have not been reduced. The Vietnamese Government has implemented a number of measures for drug control. Recently the Vietnam Drug Control Committee has been established by the Government of Vietnam with the Ministry of Public Security playing the role of a standing agency. Vietnam ratified the UN International Conventions of Drug Control in September 1997 and the decree on drug control will be approved by the National Assembly of Vietnam soon. In order to strengthen the capability on drug control, the Anti-Narcotic Drug Police Department has been set up by the Ministry of Public Security. Vietnam has signed the bilateral cooperation agreement on drug control with Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Russia and is involved in commitments of Regional multilateral cooperation agreement on drug control with the United States and other countries.
2. Recent transnational organized crime situation in Vietnam Over the past few years, along with expanding the economic relation with other countries, we have detected foreigners with sign of utilizing the legal framework in finance and banking to transfer illegal accounts for the purpose of money laundering in Vietnam. The police have discovered and have attended a number of international and regional workshops, conferences on money laundering prevention to study and exchange experience of other countries to apply it in Vietnam situation.
As far as terrorism is concerned, no cases relating to international terrorism such as hijack, hostage kidnappings, bombing terrorism have been recorded in Vietnam. However, we realize the dangers of such violent crimes that cause miserable life loss and damages of property for the people and the state. In connection with the countermeasures against terrorists, we have been applying effective strategies to prevent such dangerous crime.
One of the serious crimes which has been paid much attention by law enforcement Agencies of Vietnam and other countries is organized crime. In fact, the fight against criminals in Vietnam over the last few years has proved that the criminals have joined together in gangs and performed mobile, transnational and international operations. Recently, crimes, especially those related to drugs committed by in-country criminal gangs in collaboration with foreign criminals who came from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Laos have been detected.
On this occasion, we highly appreciate and fully support the initiative of organizing the Seventh ACPF World Conference on transnational crimes to discuss the co-ordination strategies for effective prevention of above-mentioned crimes and to agree the principals as well as co-operation policies among the policies among the Police and law enforcement Agencies of Asian and ASEAN countries. It is significantly important that achieving success in crime prevention needs the passion and strengthening of international co-operation among the Police and Law enforcement agencies in regional and worldwide.
Vietnam Police joined the International criminal police Organization ? I.C.P.O ? Interpol on November 4th, 1999 and the Aseanpol in 1996 with the permission of the Vietnamese Government and Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam.
The Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam has already signed many bilateral cooperation agreements with many Ministries of Interior of other countries (Laos, China, Cambodia, Russia, Ukraine, Cuba, Germany, Myanmar, etc.). The Vietnam Police has relations with Interpol members all over the world and has received visiting Police delegations from other countries (of which are high-ranking delegations such as Indonesian National Police, Malaysian Royal Police, Australian Federal Police, US Secretary of State assistant in charge of drug control). Vietnam Police has gradually established cooperation relations with the police of other countries and international organizations such as ACPF, UNDP, UNDCP and ESCAP, in terms of information, exchange of experience, participation in International workshops and conferences or short training courses on international crime prevention and suppression, for example, drug trafficking, organized crimes, economic frauds, women-children trafficking, adolescent criminals, Forensic and criminal technology.
Through the Interpol channel we have received and exchanged hundreds of intelligence inquiries concerning many criminal groups or criminal fugitives. The Police of Vietnam have detected and investigated many cases successfully with the involvement of several foreign nationals, executing many requests for arresting fugitives with a view to deport them back to the requesting countries. The Vietnam Police has detected and prevented many cases of drug trafficking, money laundering and economic frauds in which some cases conducted by foreign criminals caused great losses to the Vietnamese enterprises. Parallel with Vietnam’s joining in the ASEAN, Vietnam Police became a full member of ASEANPOL in 1996. This is a diversified international cooperation in crime prevention, which has great potential for establishing bilateral and multilateral relations between countries in the regions to prevent the increase of criminal activities. The exchange of visits of ASLA and ASEAN high-ranking Police delegations, including Vietnam over the years has proved the trend of expanding cooperation, integrating among police agencies in the region. Vietnam police as well as other members of ASEANPOL are actively building up a criminal database system, which is connected with its network between Vietnam and ASEANPOL members.
From this forum of the Seventh ACPF World Conference on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice with a theme of the Effective Regional Cooperation in Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in the next Millenium, we would like to prevent few recommendations on the orientations of expanding international cooperation on crime prevention among Asia and ASEAN countries as follows:
1. To suggest ACPF to compile and propose authorities at different levels of Asia and ASEAN countries for the approval of Asia and ASEAN plan of action against transnational crimes. To continue the coordination and information exchange about international crimes, specialized information relating to the modus operandies of international criminal gangs which draw concerns of all side. At the same time, as Asia and ASEAN center against transnational crimes should be set up to coordinate prevention activities of those crimes in the regions.
2. To promote the signing of bilateral agreements among Asia and ASEAN countries on extradition and mutual legal assistance in order to form the legal basis for law enforcement bodies to coordinate effectively measures of detecting, tracing, arresting and investigating specific crimes in each country which draw attention from other countries. To recommend the availability of a Liaison Police Officer in Asia and ASEAN member countries in order to exchange timely information regarding criminals as well as to coordinate specific measures to detect and investigate related crimes.
3. To request to ACPF organize annually high-ranking conferences of law enforcement agencies, symposiums to exchange knowledge, information and experiences of criminology, criminal justice activities, management and treatment of prisoners, management of immigration, border-gate and sea territory guards. Moreover, training courses and multinational maneuvers should be organized to improve professional knowledge, tactic techniques, technological knowledge for the police force to fight against the organized , dangerous and armed criminals.
Police of Vietnam, based on orientation, policy and legal system set up Vietnamese Government as well as international commitments which Vietnam is involved in, will try its best with a high sense of responsibility to contribute to the expansion and strengthening of international cooperation on crime prevention for the stability and development of Asia and ASEAN countries.
I wish Mr. Chairman and all of you present here good health!
I hope to receive the support and assistance from ACPF and from all of you.
Thank you very much for your attention.