US embassy cable - 03HANOI2320

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002320 
 
SIPDIS 
 
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI//FPA// 
SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ABLAGG// 
DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV; INL/AAE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR, KCRM, PREL, PINS, VM, CNARC 
SUBJECT:  NEW COUNTERNARCOTICS SUCCESSES 
 
REF:  HANOI 01885 
 
1.  (U) SUMMARY.  A prominent drug trial in Hanoi concluded 
on August 29 with a variety of harsh punishments, including 
four death sentences. According to government prosecutors, 
this was an exceptionally serious case, involving many 
people, in a drug-trafficking ring between Lai Chau province 
and Hanoi.  Ho Chi Minh City police separately undertook 
what they labeled Vietnam's largest-ever drug bust, 
arresting suspects believed responsible for smuggling in 
excess of 462 kilograms of heroin since the beginning of the 
year.  These cases are characteristic of the higher tempo of 
drug operations this year.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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HANOI, INCREASINGLY A HOTSPOT 
----------------------------- 
 
2.  (U) According to press reports, during the first half of 
2003, Hanoi drug law enforcement forces investigated 916 
cases involving 1,258 people, accounting for 13 percent of 
cases nationwide.  Deputy Director of Hanoi Police, Senior 
Colonel Do Kim Tuyen, publicly pointed to three factors that 
led to the increase in arrests: (1) Effective use of 
informants; (2) Elevated priority of drug cases and 
exhortation of counternarcotics officers to do more and be 
accountable for results; and (3) An accelerated reward 
system (financial and professional) for counternarcotics 
officers.  According to Bui Xuan Hieu, Head of the 
International Cooperation and Project Management Division of 
the Standing Office for Drugs Control of Vietnam (SODC), 
Vietnam in general and Hanoi in particular have witnessed an 
increase in investigations, arrests, and prosecutions in 
2003; this up curve is  expected to continue for the 
remainder of the year. 
 
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HANOI TRIAL 
----------- 
 
3.  (U) Following a late 2000 arrest of Pham Van Thanh, 
police were able to go on to arrest "ringleader" Chu Van 
Hieu and other accomplices in early 2002.  A total of 20 
defendants stood trial in Hanoi in late August 2003.  The 
Hanoi People's Court handed down four death sentences, seven 
life imprisonments, two prison sentences of 16 years and 7 
years -- for Deputy Chief of the Hanoi's Hoan Kiem District 
Counternarcotics Office Nguyen Manh Hung and Officer Nguyen 
Viet Ha of the same office -- as well as 12 months 
(suspended) for a prison superintendent, and various other 
long prison sentences.  The defendants were found guilty of 
trafficking about 13 kilograms of heroin and 307 kilograms 
of opium as well as taking US$32,000 in bribes.  According 
to Supreme People's Procuracy officials (government 
prosecutors), this is an "exceptionally serious" case with 
many people involved in trafficking drugs through Lai Chau 
province (on the Laos-China border) and on to Hanoi for 
consumption. 
 
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LONG AN CASE 
------------ 
 
4.  (U)  The Long An Provincial People's Court closed a 
major case also on August 29.  Twenty-nine defendants were 
convicted of trafficking 35 kilograms of heroin and carrying 
illegally US$ 264,200 across the border.  Penalties included 
five death sentences and assorted long prison sentences. 
 
------------------------------- 
RECORD BUST IN HO CHI MINH CITY 
------------------------------- 
 
5.  (U) According to SDOC section head Hieu, Ho Chi Minh 
City Counternarcotics Police recently encountered what is 
believed to be Vietnam's biggest-ever bust.  Police arrested 
eight people on charges of smuggling a record amount of 462 
kilograms of heroin since early this year.  According to Ho 
Chi Minh City Counternarcotics Police, the eight traffickers 
included the Chief of Nghe An province's Tuong Duong 
District Counternarcotics Police.  The group smuggled the 
heroin from Laos through Nghe An onto southern provinces for 
consumption.  The police suspect the traffickers are linked 
with other organized criminal syndicates in Asia.  The case 
is now undergoing further investigation. 
 
6.  (U) Comment:  These recent cases are remarkable by 
Vietnamese standards due to their scale, as well as the 
unfortunate but not surprising involvement of 
counternarcotics officials.  The publicity given to the 
cases reflects the GVN's awareness that corruption is as 
much of a problem here as narcotics trafficking,  as well as 
its determination to demonstrate success on both fronts to 
the public.  In a perfect world, this increased priority 
would be reflected in flexibility in the GVN's attitude 
towards cooperation with the USG on drug issues.  Embassy, 
especially DEAN Hanoi Country Office, will use these events 
as opportunities to raise the cooperation issue again with 
MPS and other GVN agencies. 
BURGHARDT