VZCZCXRO2446
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHHI #1903 2080630
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 270630Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2882
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 1556
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 0694
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 0158
RUEHZS/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS HANOI 001903 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, INL/AAE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV SNAR CH VM
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR VISITS USG-FUNDED COUNTERNARCOTICS TASK FORCE IN 
LANG SON PROVINCE 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: During a July 7 visit to Lang Son Province, the 
Ambassador received a briefing on USG-funded, UNODC-administered 
counternarcotics efforts in the region.  Since the inception of this 
effort, coordination has improved among local, regional and 
cross-border security officials, and a number of significant drug 
rings have been broken up.  The primary drug passing through and 
being consumed in Lang Son is heroin.  The Lang Son Task Force 
Unit's director agreed in principle to a future visit from DEA, 
which would be a first if it comes off.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) On July 7, the Ambassador met with Ta Quang Vu, the 
Director of the Son La Joint Counternarcotics Task Force Unit (TFU) 
established under the UNODC G-55 counternarcotics program (which 
receives USG funding).  Vu explained that he is also the head of the 
provincial counternarcotics department in the Department of Public 
Security.  Additionally, the TFU includes members of the Department 
of Border Security and the Customs Department.  The TFU currently 
has ten officers:  six members come from the Ministry of Public 
Security (MPS), two members represent the Border Army and two 
participate on behalf of the Customs Department. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Vu noted that the TFU was founded in September 2005.  Since 
that time, officers associated with the unit have attended 800 
training sessions. (Note:  The actual number of officers attending 
training is likely much smaller.  The number refers to the total 
sessions attended counted by officer, though most officers attended 
multiple sessions and thus were counted many times.  End Note.) 
Since its founding, the unit has investigated 200 cases and seized 
12.5 kilograms of heroin (a three-fold increase from the amounts 
seized in a similar period before the program's inception).  Also 
the number of known drug addicts in the province has declined from 
2,000 individuals in 1997 to 1,149 as habitual users of opium have 
given up the drug.  Heroin imported from the "Golden Triangle" 
remains the drug of choice in the province, Vu added.   He also 
noted that there is an "06" Center in Lang Son to rehabilitate drug 
addicts, with over one hundred addicts in treatment. About 40 
percent of these are HIV positive. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Vu stated that new equipment provided under the UNODC's 
project, including a car, motorbikes, radios, cameras and testing 
chemicals, has also helped officers conduct investigations.  The TFU 
has improved cooperation between different departments and has also 
helped arrange regional meetings to share information on drug 
crimes.  The TFU also formally meets once a year with local security 
officials from Guangxi, the Chinese province that borders Lang Son. 
In additon they have frequent informal meetings at the border 
crossing and a hotline channel between offices to facilitate 
investigations.  The TFU's main successes to date were the 
coordinated break-up of several criminal gangs involving 260 
suspects operating out of Bac Giang, Thai Nguyen and Hanoi.  Vu 
estimated that the TFU arrests approximately 100 suspects a year. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The Ambassador noted that effective law enforcement and 
drug interdiction are in the interests of both the United States and 
Vietnam.  Lang Son, with its long border and excellent highway to 
Hanoi, is clearly on the frontlines in the fight against narcotics 
trafficking.  This is a problem that requires joint action because 
it threatens everyone.  We are glad to see that USG funding has been 
well spent on TFUs like this one, the Ambassador emphasized.  He 
also reiterated DEA's request to visit the Lang Son TFU:  to date, 
the Ministry of Public Security has refused to allow Embassy's DEA 
Country Office representatives to visit any TFUs.  Vu stated that 
his team would be glad to accept such a visit, an opening DEA 
intends to exploit. 
 
MARINE