Vietnam anti-drug enforcement

In mid‑July 2026 Vietnamese police intensified their nationwide anti‑drug campaign with large‑scale operations in the northern province of Lào Cai and the southern province of Tây Ninh. The raids resulted in the detention of 19‑year‑old Triệu Văn Đạo and Đặng Văn Trên after forensic hair‑sample testing confirmed drug use and organization, and a 30‑day high‑point operation in Tây Ninh produced 486 drug‑related cases, 984 arrests, the seizure of about 20 kg of synthetic drugs, heroin and other contraband, and the placement of 132 people in compulsory rehabilitation as the province pursues a drug‑free goal by 2030.

A few weeks later, on 5‑16 August, police shifted tactics to preventive drug‑testing of labour forces at key economic sites. Officers at Da Nang’s Thọ Quang fish‑port and nearby lodging facilities tested more than 250 workers, while Hanoi’s Bồ Đề ward police conducted residency and drug‑testing sweeps at construction sites and worker camps. The operations identified three rapid‑test positives, which are being verified for possible legal action.

By 12 August, enforcement efforts expanded to dismantle specific trafficking networks. In Hung Yen province, authorities arrested construction foreman Đỗ Duy Đức, Nguyễn Văn Cương, and Lường Văn Hưng after discovering a scheme where Đức funded the purchase of heroin to be distributed among workers or resold. The group was intercepted while transporting approximately 17.56 grams of heroin toward Hanoi. Simultaneously, in Lai Chau province, a joint operation by the Ministry of Public Security and border guards seized eight bricks of heroin. Following digital traces on social media, police apprehended Liều A Sổ and Thào A Chô during a large-scale transaction involving connections between Dien Bien and Lai Chau provinces.