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.

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

Inhalt

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...