Ensuring Public Safety, Supporting Local Development

Dien Bien, located at the far northwestern border of Vietnam, shares a 455 km boundary with Laos and China. Once a hotspot for drug trafficking, the province has transformed into a peaceful region, thanks in part to the efforts of the provincial police force.

From a hotspot to a peaceful border region

In 2024, the provincial police uncovered over 1,100 drug-related cases, arrested nearly 1,300 individuals, and seized 55 kg of heroin and 66 kg of synthetic drugs. Notably, Operation 924D successfully dismantled a transnational drug trafficking network.

Colonel Vu Van Dau, Director of the Provincial Department of Public Security, emphasized the importance of grassroots policing, saying, "To move beyond being a drug hotspot, we must engage with the community at the village level." Deploying 100% regular police officers to communes has transformed areas like Na U from being drug centers into peaceful communities where residents can safely work and children can attend school.

The provincial police have been proactive in implementing Project 06, focusing on digital citizen identification and administrative modernization. So far, they have processed 661,000 citizen identification applications, achieving 100% coverage, and activated nearly 465,000 digital IDs, reaching 98.2% of the target. Additionally, 97.9% of administrative procedures are now handled online, reducing the need for over 30,000 in-person visits annually and shifting the approach from "management" to "service."

People-centered security: the foundation for development

The “All People Protect National Security” movement has been widely implemented with 30 models and more than 3,500 self-managed community points. Notable examples such as the “Luong Family Self-Management” in Muong Phang and the “Self-Managed Religious Group” in Na Tau have strengthened community solidarity and reinforced public trust.

Coordination among the Provincial Police, Border Guard, and Militia forces has ensured strict border control. In the first six months of 2025, the three forces conducted over 1,200 patrols, apprehended 78 cases and 107 individuals involved in drug crimes, and handled multiple illegal immigration cases, maintaining security from the border to inland areas.

As the province enters a breakthrough phase in infrastructure development with projects such as the Son La-Dien Bien-Tay Trang Border Gate Expressway, the 500kV power line, and the Dien Bien Phu-Pa Khoang National Tourism Area, maintaining public order is recognized as a prerequisite for creating a safe, transparent, and investor-friendly environment.

 “Proactively identifying risks, preventing them at the source, and maintaining security in all situations is the key to preserving peace and how the Provincial Police support Dien Bien’s development,” Colonel Vu Van Dau emphasized.

By Ha Thanh, Vietnam Business Forum