Major General Nguyen Xuan Yem, Ph.D.
Director of the People’s Police Academy
Ministry of Public Security
In 1998, the Prime Minister approved a national anti-crime program, setting an objective of early detection and prevention of international criminals penetrating Vietnam to carry out illegal activities. In order to realize this program, eight schemes, including a scheme against organized crime, dangerous crimes and international crime, have been initiated.
The definition of “international crime” or “crime of an international nature” was first introduced in 1949 at a meeting of the General Assembly of the International Criminal Police Commission, the forerunner of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), and further elaborated in 1976 by the Interpol General Assembly as “crime carried out in the areas of, and involving infringed objects in, two or more countries.”
According to Professor Gerhard Meller, a top criminologist and a leading expert on organized crime, there are 17 types of international crime: money laundering; terrorism; burglary of art works and cultural objects; intellectual property piracy; illegal trafficking of weapons; hijacking; maritime piracy; robbery of goods transported by land; insurance fraud; hi-tech crimes; environmental crimes; human trafficking; trafficking in human organs; drug trafficking; bankruptcy fraud; participation in illegal business; and corruption and giving bribes to social and political leaders.
In Vietnam, due to the negative impacts of globalization and integration, as well as shortcomings in state and social administration, international crime has become a growing phenomenon. Crimes of an international nature account for 2-10 per cent of the total number of crimes nationwide. During 2000-09, more than a thousand cases involving 2,732 foreign offenders from more than 30 countries and territories were detected in Vietnam while 162 Vietnamese citizens involved in 80 criminal cases were caught for committing crimes abroad. Over the past two years, the Ho Chi Minh City Public Security Department has detected and handled 77 cases and initiated lawsuits against 77 offenders of 20 different nationalities while more than 70 other cases of international crime have been discovered and investigated by the Hanoi Public Security Department.
The rapid increase in the number of internationally wanted criminals is another concern. Many international offenders have used Vietnam as a springboard to hide themselves and carry out illegal activities under a new cloak. These criminals, many of whom have been American, South Korean, Taiwanese, Hong Kong or Australian citizens and overseas Vietnamese, often enter Vietnam under the pretence of being tourists or business people. During 2000-09, international arrest warrants had been issued for 132 offenders fleeing abroad.
Criminal syndicates from Hong Kong, Taiwan, ASEAN member states and African countries have also made their appearances in Vietnam, concentrating in Ho Chi Minh City and the southern region and then spreading to Hanoi and northern provinces and cities. These syndicates run hotels, restaurants and discotheques and commit such crimes as drug trafficking, murder, extortion, fraud, and robbery.
Most international crimes detected in the country are transnational organized crimes involving a close collusion between domestic and foreign criminals which can be clearly seen in such crimes as international drug trafficking, maritime piracy, smuggling, counterfeit money trafficking and cross-border human trafficking.
International crimes concentrate in Hanoi, Hai Phong, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City, border provinces and northeastern and southwestern sea areas. In addition, key routes of international crime have appeared such as the Vietnam-Australia airway or the Vietnam-Singapore seaway.
In order to effectively implement the national anti-crime program, the following measures must be taken in a coordinated manner:
- Take the initiative in preventing international crime by designating it as one of the most important elements of the national anti-crime program nationwide and in each locality.
- Improve the effectiveness of the struggle against international crime by closely collaborating with foreign police offices to minimize the number of criminal cases committed by Vietnamese offenders abroad and pursue and capture wanted criminals who flee into Vietnam.
- Better perform social administration at the grassroots level, aiming to detect foreign criminals in Vietnam, while, at the same time, raising the quality of education and reform of foreign offenders.
- Renew and raise the quality of training and human resources development for law enforcement agencies, establishing specialized international crime prevention and detection units under the Ministry of Public Security and local Public Security Departments.
- Perfect the legal system to facilitate crime prevention and detection; and,
- Enhance international cooperation in the prevention of and fight against international crimes, giving priority to the relationships with INTERPOL, ASEANPOL and the police forces of neighboring countries or countries that are major trade partners of Vietnam.-