QUẢNG TRỊ, VIETNAM – In a stunning blow to the international narcotics trade, Vietnamese border guards have seized a staggering half a ton of methamphetamine from a tractor-trailer attempting to cross into the country from Laos. The massive haul, cleverly disguised in sacks stacked like common rice, marks the largest drug bust in the history of Vietnam's central Quảng Trị province.
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| Drugs were packed in large sacks, stacked like rice on a tractor trailer to be transported across the border - Photo: HOAI NAM |
The dramatic interception occurred at 4:00 PM on Sunday, October 5th, near the Cha Lo International Border Gate in Dân Hóa commune. According to the Quảng Trị Border Guard Command, a task force of professional officers flagged a tractor-trailer that was exhibiting unusual behavior as it approached the checkpoint.
Acting on suspicion, the border guard unit stopped the vehicle for a thorough inspection. Inside the trailer, they discovered dozens of large sacks, piled high as if they were transporting agricultural goods. However, a swift inspection of the contents revealed a far more sinister cargo. Instead of grain, the sacks were filled with crystalline methamphetamine.
The total weight of the seized narcotics amounted to an incredible 500 kilograms (half a ton). Officials confirmed this is a new and alarming record for the province, dwarfing the previous largest seizure of 300 kilograms.
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| 2 Laotians arrested with a huge amount of drugs 500kg - Photo: HOAI NAM |
"This is an unprecedented seizure for our forces in Quảng Trị," a spokesperson for the Border Guard Command stated. "The sheer volume of the narcotics points to a highly organized and well-funded trafficking network."
Two individuals who were in the vehicle were immediately arrested at the scene. Authorities are currently detaining them for interrogation, but their identities have not yet been disclosed pending a wider investigation. The provincial Border Guard Command is now leading a major expanded case to trace the origins of the shipment and dismantle the entire criminal enterprise behind it.
This monumental bust underscores the ongoing battle Vietnamese authorities are waging against the flood of illicit drugs trafficked from the "Golden Triangle"—a notorious drug-producing region where the borders of Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar meet. The Vietnam-Laos border remains a critical transit route, and this seizure highlights the sophisticated methods criminals are using to smuggle vast quantities of narcotics into Vietnam and beyond.
