2016 VIETNAMESE LEGAL STUDIES GRADUATE STUDENT WORKSHOP

The Nature of Transnational Drugs Trafficking across Mainland Southeast Asian Borderland: A Case
Study of Vietnam and Laos

Hai Thanh Luong

School of Global, Urban and Social Studies
RMIT University
Drug Trafficking Routes entry into Vietnam
In the North - West area: Lao PDR

What are the distinctive characteristics of

transnational drug trafficking operating
across Vietnam’s border with Lao PDR?
What specific challenges to Vietnam do
they pose and how effectively can they be
addressed?

Key Themes:
Globalization, ASEAN Regional
Cooperation, Criminal Justice Systems and
Cross-Border Drug Trafficking
 AIMS

• To identify specific structure and modus operandi of Vietnam – Laos drug

trafficking “network” entities (hereafter transnational drug trafficking
entities or TDT)
• To assess the barriers and challenges of law enforcement responses at
the national and regional levels, focussing upon Vietnam and Lao PDR
• To find out the suitable policies and initiative recommendations for
improving the effectiveness of combating TDT
 Why?

• There is a paucity of academic research into drug trafficking activities in

Vietnam.
• A review of Vietnam-Lao TDT network entities would make a significant
contribution to the scholarly literature on cross-border transnational
crime
• Such a study, drawing upon social network and complexity theory,
would enable the development of a unique conceptual framework
tailored to the Vietnam context
• There is an urgent need for assessing the role and responsibilities of
LEAs, with particular to focus on the Criminal Investigation on Drug-
Related Crime Police Force (CIDRCP) in Vietnam to combat TDT entities
operating across Vietnam’s borders
Applying Social Network Analysis into Drug Trafficking Studies

Actor/
Node

Relational
Leader
Tie

Criminal
Network

Central
Dyad
player

Structural
hole/Brok
er
(to adopt by Williams 2001, 2010 and
Kenney 2007a, 2007b)
Applying Crime Script Analysis into Drug Trafficking Studies

Target Commission
Preparation Escape Aftermath
Selection of the Act

(to adopt by Cornish and Clark 2002, p. 47)

 Research Design and Methodologies

Qualitative data Builds to Quantitative data

Interpretation
collection and collection and
analysis analysis

(to adopt by Creswell and Clark 2011, p. 69)

 Qualitative approach

• Designing and selecting case study (multi-case design)

• Data Collecting (triangulation approach with in-depth interview and completed
observer)
• Data Analyzing (Interview’s Transcription through cross-case synthesis)

Conceptual framework applies to TDT in Vietnam:

- Organizational Structure
- Modus Operandi
Conceptual Framework of Transnational Narcotics
Trafficking to Apply into Vietnam’s Context
 Quantitative Approach

• Constructing questionnaire
– Questionnaire design
– Translate from English to Vietnamese version
• Sampling: (multi-stage sampling techniques with four stages):
– Stage 1: Stratified select surveyed CIDRCP’s groups (strata)
– Stage 2: Purposively select CIDRCP Division in selected group
– Stage 3: Randomly select surveyed CIDRCP officers in CIDRCP Divisions
– Stage 4: Investigate surveyed CIDRCP officers
• Data collection (Multimode survey):
– Mail survey
– Face to face
• Data analysis (SPSS binary test):
– Formatting a data file
– Coding and data entry
– Data cleaning
 Barriers and Challenges to
Combat Transnational Narcotics Trafficking

1. Porous Borders
2. Data and Information Sharing
3. Incapacity of Building Cooperative Instruments
4. Uneven Distributions of Law Enforcement
5. Increased Transportation and Trade between Shared Borderland’s
Countries
 Interpretation and Discussion

1. The Nature of Transnational Narcotics Trafficking: Compare and

Contrast
• Typologies of TDT Network
• The Nature of Ties
– Family-Based Ties
– Fellow-Countryman Association
• Structure and Authority in the Drug Trafficking Network
• The Various Roles in a Transnational Narcotics Trafficking Network
– Leader or organizer
– Investor
– Buyer
– Packer
– Recruiter
– Enforcer
– Receiver
– Extender or crossover
 Interpretation and Discussion

2. Modus Operandi
• Movement of Drugs
– Geographical proximity and
– Types of illicit drug
• Methods of Transport
– By air
– By sea
– By land
• The Forms of Communication
– Using ‘internal information’
– Applying ‘code of the underworld’
– Exchanging ‘slangs and signs’
 Initial Recommendations and Prioritized Issues for
Enhancing Cooperation to Combat TDT
• Recommendation 1: Improving technology at border checkpoints
– Priority 1: Focusing on training and developing human resources at BLOs
– Priority 2: Providing modern equipment and technical applications
– Priority 3: Encouraging use e-passport at checking points
• Recommendation 2: Establish mechanisms to improve data collection and sharing
– Priority 4: Establishing an intelligence database between two countries
– Priority 5: Information and data sharing at BLOs
• Recommendation 3: Link border liaison offices to intelligence centres and other specialized
units
– Priority 6: Jointing investigation between LEAs and BLOs
– Priority 7: Constructing an online website refers to combat TDT
– Priority 8: Establishing new BLOs at the rest of international border gates of two sides
• Recommendation 4: Improving anti‐trafficking skills in a coherent and sustainable way
around the region
– Priority 9: Enhancing education and training for LEA’s officer
– Priority 10: Boosting a building ASEAN Centre on Transnational Crime and forwarding an establishing ASEAN
Police College.
• Recommendation 5: Promote standard operating procedures for bilateral cooperation at the
border for drug control
– Priority 11: Utilizing controlled delivery technique to investigate TDT case
 Conclusions

• Most higher level drug traffickers in Vietnam operate in relatively small and
closed criminal syndicates, often deal and compete with others
at the same level.
• There exist family ties and fellow-countryman association as the nature of ties
in organizational structure of TDT
• Each wholesale dealer is free to search out other sources and may in fact be
connected to more than one supply network
• TDT groups have a relatively loose, fluid structure, and adaptable social
network with diverse mobilization and movements but it can not neglect on its
sophisticated operations
• Modus operandi of TDT groups and networks that change over time, place,
and form to able to achieve their targets and activities
Moving forward 2015…
…“Free Drug Zone” in ASEAN