Transnational Drug Trafficking Across the Vietnam-Laos Border

This book presents the first detailed inquiry into the nature of cross-border drug trafficking between Laos People's Democratic Republic and Vietnam using an exploratory approach, which draws upon qualitative and quantitative methods. It draws from case studies, interviews and survey data from criminal investigation police and drug-related crimes officers (CIPDRC) from six border provinces which are directly and indirectly involved in investigating these cases. The findings indicate that drug markets in Vietnam are not controlled by monopolistic, hierarchical organizations or 'cartels' but small structures, based on family ties and fellow-countrymen relations, which are are fluid and loosely organized. They are very adaptable and sophisticated with diverse modus operandi and multiple divisions of labour which present particular challenges to law enforcement agencies.

Auteur
Hai Thanh Luong is Honorary Principal Research Fellow at Royal Melbourne Institute for Technology University, Australia.

Contenu

Acknowledgement

List of Abbreviations

List of Figures and Tables

Preface

Introduction

Theoretical Application

Research Methods

Qualitative Research Sites

Quantitative Research Sites

Some Constraints and Solutions

Drug Trafficking across Vietnam's Borderland Areas

Vietnam Background

Geography and its Impacts

Climate and its Impacts

Structured Population and its Impacts

Drug Trafficking in Mainland Southeast Asian Region

Drug Production, Consumption and Trafficking: An Overview

Laos Illicit Drug Markets

Drug Concerns in Vietnam

Transnational Narcotics Trafficking

Family-based Structure and Fellow-Countrymen Association

Group Size

The Central Actors

Adaptation and Flexibility

Age and Responsibility

Family-Based Structures

Fellow-Countrymen Associations

Ensuring Trust for Co-offending

Establishing Close-Knit Community

Modus Operandi of Cross-Border Drug Trafficking in Vietnam

Preparation

Exploit Drug Sources

Sale-and-Buy Agreement

Protecting Drug Operations against Interdiction

Pre-activity

Pack-and-Conceal Process

Transporting

Activity

Exchange Processes

Cutting

Post-activity

Distribution Illegal Profits

Barriers and Challenges to Combat Transnational Narcotics Trafficking

Porous Borders and its Blurred Points

Data Sharing and its Related Information

Incapacity of Building Cooperative Instruments

Uneven Distributions of Law Enforcement 1

Increased Transportation and Trade at Shared Borderlands

Initiative Issues to Combat Cross-Border Drug Trafficking Initiative 1: Developing Human Resources at BLOs

Initiative 3: Encouraging Use of E-passport at Cross-border Checking Points

Conclusions Organisational structu...