On May 22, the Investigation Police Agency under the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Public Security announced that the agency had successfully cracked down on a major drug trafficking case.
The case first came to light in the second quarter of 2026, when officers from the Drug-related Crime Investigation Police Division (PC04) discovered that Dang Phan Thanh Tung was involved in drug abuse and small-scale drug dealing in areas including Ben Cat, Thoi Hoa, Thu Dau Mot and Thuan Giao in Ho Chi Minh City.
Investigators identified Dang Phan Thanh Tung as part of a larger and more sophisticated criminal network, prompting the launch of a specialized investigation.
Authorities traced the network back to him, leading to the arrest of three major suppliers and the identification of 12 lower-level distribution groups.
During the investigation, police discovered that the network operated across multiple provinces in the Southern region and the Central Highlands. Acting on intelligence about a major transaction, PC04 officers deployed forces and caught a suspect transporting more than five kilograms of drugs from the Central Highlands to Ho Chi Minh City for distribution.
Within a short period, the task force arrested and processed 140 suspects. Based on collected evidence and documents, investigators prosecuted 105 individuals for offenses including illegal drug trading, transportation, possession, and organizing illegal drug use.
Authorities also sent 35 individuals to compulsory rehabilitation centers and handled several others accused of acting as lookouts, accomplices, or helping conceal criminal activities.
Police seized more than nine kilograms of synthetic drugs, 11 digital scales, 40 sets of drug-use paraphernalia, two automobiles, over 70 mobile phones and numerous documents related to the criminal operation.
According to investigators, the success of the operation demonstrates the determination and professionalism of the Ho Chi Minh City Public Security Department in tackling crime and transforming security hotspots. The case also contributes to the city’s goal of building a drug-free Ho Chi Minh City by 2030.
