Clear target identification

On October 7, 2024, the Ministry of Public Security issued Plan No.483/KH-BCA-C04, launching a nationwide peak campaign to comprehensively review, detect, register, and manage drug addicts, illegal drug users, post-rehabilitation individuals, and crack down on complex drug hotspots (referred to as Plan 483).

Following the motto “prevention is key, enforcement is essential,” local police units across Điện Biên province simultaneously implemented specific and practical measures to detect and prevent drug-related violations early and from afar. Especially, identifying drug addicts as one of the highest-risk groups likely to commit drug-related offenses, law enforcement and local police have focused on screening and monitoring suspected addicts within communities to place them under supervision and control.

As part of ongoing area surveillance, at 12:35 PM on May 28, at Km 151+700 (in Mường Mươn 1 hamlet, Mường Mươn commune), Task Force No.2 under Plan 1266 arrested Lò Văn Hạnh (born 1978), residing in On hamlet, Thanh Nưa commune, for illegally possessing drugs. Multiple community sources had reported Hạnh displaying signs of drug addiction.

When ordered to stop his vehicle by police, Hạnh threw a white plastic bag onto the roadside. He later admitted it contained heroin, which he had bought for VND 300,000, claiming it was for “treatment.” However, a quick test confirmed Hạnh was positive for heroin.

Previously, through screening efforts, Vũ Văn Long (born 1983), with permanent residence in Residential Group No.5, Mường Thanh ward, had also been flagged. After a period of surveillance and operational tactics, in early 2025, the Điện Biên Police force coordinated to arrest Long while he was in possession of drugs.

At the time of arrest, Long had hidden a small plastic bag containing pink tablets in his mouth. Upon questioning, he admitted the substance was drugs bought for personal use. A subsequent urgent search of Long’s house revealed an additional 59 synthetic drug pills hidden in his wardrobe.

Tightening control efforts

In recent times, local authorities have paid particular attention to strictly implementing measures for drug prevention and control. However, the drug crime and abuse situation remains complex; the number of illegal drug users and addicts detected and registered by the police is increasing.

Through the fight against drug crimes and abuse, authorities discovered many addicts and illegal drug users had not been registered or managed, especially those receiving treatment and relocating from other areas, posing risks to local security and public order.

To effectively implement Plan 483, the Điện Biên provincial Police force has taken the lead, coordinating with relevant departments and agencies to execute, monitor, supervise, and inspect the registration, screening, and management of illegal drug users, addicts, and post-rehabilitation individuals at their places of residence. Commune- and ward-level police have formed task forces for each hamlet or residential group, with local police officers taking the lead in collecting data, identifying individuals under surveillance, and ensuring the data is “accurate, complete, clean, and live.”

According to the Điện Biên police force’s leadership, the process of screening and registering drug addicts, illegal drug users, and post-rehabilitation individuals has been conducted seriously, ensuring full and honest information. Since March 1, 2025, district-level police were reorganized, yet local anti-drug efforts continued without interruption. Within the first month of this new model, the number of drug hotspots eliminated increased by 19.6%, and arrests of small-scale dealers rose by 21.9% compared to the previous period. Authorities also identified four groups of suspected illegal drug users for monitoring.

Currently, the province has 577 licensed healthcare professionals authorized to confirm drug addiction status and 124 qualified facilities for addiction assessment, including 123 under the health sector and 1 under the provincial police. In the first half of the year, over 1,100 individuals were evaluated for addiction, revealing 864 confirmed addicts, an increase of 344 compared to the same period in 2024, and 839 illegal users.

As a result, over 600 individuals underwent drug rehabilitation treatment: more than 100 at home or in the community, and nearly 500 at the provincial drug rehabilitation center. Authorities also managed and counseled 188 individuals who completed rehab and transitioned to post-rehabilitation management at their residence, supporting job searches, stable living, and preventing relapse. Additionally, over 5,700 addicts and 1,600 illegal users are under management, including 7 individuals with signs of meth-induced psychosis or mental disturbances, and 410 people with mental illness deemed potentially dangerous, ensuring public safety and preventing disorder.

Beyond tight control of users and addicts, local police have also effectively implemented Methadone substitution therapy at 11 treatment centers and 31 distribution sites. In the first half of the year, 383 new patients began Methadone therapy. Currently, 2,500 patients are under treatment, with 1,202 transitioned to local dispensing facilities.