Operation Mekong Dragon V (OMD V), a programme cracking down on drug and wildlife trafficking in Asia-Pacific, was successful, heard a conference held by the General Department of Vietnam Customs in Hanoi on November 21.
Hanoi (VNA) – Operation Mekong Dragon V (OMD V), a programmecracking down on drug and wildlife trafficking in Asia-Pacific, was successful,heard a conference held by the General Department of Vietnam Customs inHanoi on November 21.
OMD is a joint action programme of customs agencies and otherlaw enforcement bodies in the Asia-Pacific region to fight the illegal trading in drugs, wild animals and plants, and products from the species in the list ofthe Convention on InternationalTrade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Co-initiated bythe customs authorities of Vietnam and China, it was launched in 2018 withtechnical support from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Regional Intelligence Liaison Office for Asia and the Pacific (RILO AP). Five phases of the programme have been carried out so far.
OMD V was implemented from April 15 to November 16, 2023 withthe participation of 25 customs agencies, law enforcement bodies, and internationalorganisations. As many as 1,715 cases were uncovered during the period asreported by member countries, surging 111% from the fourth phase, statisticsshowed.
Addressing the event, representatives of the Vietnamese and Chinesecustoms forces and international organisations affirmed that OMD V wassuccessful.
They said the operation’s success showed the activeness of Vietnam Customs,whose cooperation quality, seriousness, and sense of responsibility were highlyvalued by international customs and law enforcement agencies.
During the operation, the police departments for drug crime investigation and environmentalcrime combat under the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security also coordinatedwith the customs force to investigate and uncover many drug and wildlifetrafficking cases. They also contributed many ideas to the operation.
Kim Hyeon Seok, Head of RILO AP, said drug trafficking is the main source of revenue fororganised crime gangs, and fighting drug crimes is always one of the toppriorities of RILO AP member customs agencies. Besides, illegal wildlife trading is also often supported by organised crimes and big resources to be carried outon a large scale.
Therefore, OMD is a practical and effective move in international cooperationin crime prevention and control, he noted.
OMD is assessed as one of the most successful crackdown operations in theAsia-Pacific in terms of the numbers of members (nearly 30) and the casesupdated on its information system. Intelligence information has been sharedamong countries to help deal with many major drug and wildlife traffickingcases./.
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Participants at the conference. (Photo: VNA) 
