At around 6am on December 9, 2025, while on duty near border marker No.83 in Kết Tinh hamlet, Mường Pồn commune (along the Vietnam - Laos border), a joint task force of the Điện Biên Border Guard Command detected two men entering Điện Biên province from across the border with suspicious signs. When stopped for inspection, officers found a sack containing six rectangular bricks holding blue nylon bags filled with pink tablets marked “WY”, suspected to be synthetic drugs totaling 36,000 pills; four rectangular bricks containing compressed white powder (suspected heroin); and one yellow paper-wrapped package of dark brown resin (suspected opium) weighing about one kilogram.

At the authorities’ office, the two suspects were identified as Xay Somphon Inthavong (born 1988) and Uan Lo Van Kham (born 1984), both residents of Phongsaly province, Laos. Initial statements indicated that they had been hired by a man in Phongsaly province to transport the drugs into Điện Biên province for sale. They were arrested while crossing the border near marker No.83 to deliver the shipment.

Senior Colonel Phan Văn Hóa, Commander of the Điện Biên Border Guard Command under the provincial Military Command, said that as part of the peak campaign against crime and legal violations before, during and after the Lunar New Year of Bính Ngọ 2026, border guard units, acting with ingenuity, creativity and determination, successfully cracked two major cases (DB1125 and DB1225) between November 27 and December 9, 2025. Three suspects were caught red-handed, with seizures totaling 96,000 methamphetamine pills, about 1.7 kilograms of heroin and one kilogram of opium resin. The entire operation was conducted with absolute safety for personnel and equipment.

Also on December 9, 2025, the leadership of the provincial police visited and commended officers of the Criminal Police Division after the unit achieved a major breakthrough, swiftly investigating, tracking down and identifying the suspect in a particularly serious murder case in Mốc 4 hamlet, Mường Chà commune, in less than 24 hours.

Initial findings show that at around 12:30am on December 7, 2025, after attending a family meal at a nephew’s house and returning to her yard, Sùng Thị C. (born 1955), a resident of Mốc 4 hamlet, was suddenly shot with a homemade muzzleloader and collapsed on the spot. Despite being rushed to the commune medical center, she died at 10am the same day.

Upon receiving the report, the Criminal Police Division coordinated with other forces to examine the scene, collect evidence and narrow down suspects. The investigation quickly focused on Sùng A Vảng (born 1986), a resident of the same hamlet, who showed multiple suspicious signs. At the police station, Vảng initially denied the crime and gave false statements. Through professional investigative measures, by midnight on December 8, he confessed fully. According to his confession, suspecting that  C. had cast “black magic” causing illness to his mother and child, Vảng decided to kill her. On the night of December 6, he took a homemade gun and lay in wait nearby, shooting the victim as she returned home.

With a proactive approach during holidays, festivals and major political events, functional forces continue to work closely together to maintain a firm public security posture across the province. Building on results achieved in 2025, the provincial police have launched a new peak offensive to combat and suppress crime, ensuring public order and security for the 14th National Party Congress, the 16th National Assembly elections, elections of People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026- 2031 term, and the Lunar New Year of Bính Ngọ 2026.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, Senior Colonel Vũ Văn Đấu, Party Committee Secretary and Director of the provincial Police Department, called on the entire force to deploy comprehensive and decisive professional measures, focusing on early identification of high-risk routes, sectors and targets in order to proactively devise effective responses.

Following directives from the Party Committee and the provincial police leadership, professional units have swiftly translated the peak campaign into concrete action plans with the highest level of determination. Efforts are centered on area reviews and clear identification of key routes, sectors and targets to apply appropriate measures. Security units have strengthened protection of internal political security, proactively detecting risks to prevent the emergence of hotspots. Investigative police have intensified operations to decisively handle very serious and especially serious crimes, drug-related offenses, social evils and violations that commonly surge during holidays and festivals.

Units responsible for residence management, immigration control and conditional business sectors have tightened inspections; stepped up public awareness campaigns and efforts to recover illegal weapons, explosives and support tools; and applied population data to support management. Fire prevention and fighting police have proactively prepared response plans for fire and explosion risks during crowded events and festivals, while traffic police have increased patrols and strictly dealt with violations related to alcohol, drugs, overloading and illegal street racing.

At the grassroots level, commune and ward police have focused on closely monitoring local situations, coordinating with other units to prevent and promptly handle complex incidents, and promoting the role of public security teams and self-governing groups to resolve disputes early and from afar, preventing hotspots from emerging.

In 2025, the provincial police investigated and solved 132 public order cases, handling 361 suspects, including 33 very serious and especially serious cases, and initiated legal proceedings in 12 high-tech crime cases. In the fields of economic crime, corruption and environmental violations, 170 cases involving 196 organizations and individuals were detected; three cases were prosecuted with seven defendants, and more than VND 7 billion was recovered. Drug crime enforcement uncovered and handled 538 cases involving 611 suspects, seizing large quantities of narcotics. Currently, Điện Biên police maintain two permanent task forces in Laos to combat drug trafficking through early, remote and source-based prevention.