HA NOI – Police began a large-scale blitz on drug-related crimes last weekend in a lead-up to the nation's Anti-drugs Month in June.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung asked the police, border army and customs officers to co-operate to improve investigations at borders and other hot spots.

Dung also asked ministries and local authorities to focus resources on Anti-drugs Month.

"Information campaigns should focus on drugs hot spots and areas suitable to plant drug crops," he said.

"Education on the bad effects of drugs should be given an emphasis, particularly for young people, students, manual workers and vulnerable groups."

Drug-related crimes continue to remain a problem in Viet Nam. Police alone uncovered more than 17,000 cases last year, arresting nearly 25,000 people.

Between 2006 and the end of 2010, the nation reported almost 64,000 drug cases, with some 100,000 criminals arrested and more than 1,000kg of heroin and 8 tonnes of cannabis and marijuana seized.

Anti-drugs specialists forecast that drug-related crimes will continue to increase this year, based on developments throughout the world and the region, particularly in the Golden Triangle of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar.

National anti-drugs strategies and programmes for 2011-15 were announced last month, with the support of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and international donors. – VNS