HCM City police carried out a 1am raid on a drug processing and wholesaling centre in District 1, arresting nine people and seizing a large volume of narcotics and equipment.

Ly Huy Khanh and Ha Thi Tien.

After days of investigation, HCM City police arrested a couple named Ha Thi Tien, 39, and Ly Huy Khanh, 34, on September 9. Tien and Khanh are believed to be both producers and wholesale sellers of ecstasy to pushers in Binh Chanh district, District 1 and District 8.

Searching the home of the couple in De Tham Street, District 1, police seized nearly 1,000 ecstasy pills, a container of cannabis and two machines designed to press powdered drugs into pill form.

The couple said they bought ecstasy from an unnamed contact with the aim of crush it into powder, then mixing with additives before pressing it again into pills.

Several hours before arresting the couple, police caught Nguyen Phuoc Hanh, 53, in the act, as he handed over pills to a customer. Based on Hanh’s information, police raided a hotel in District 8 finding six people taking drugs in four rooms. They collected around 100 ecstasy pills and equipment, including weapons.

Police said the ecstasy in this hotel was also supplied by Khanh and Tien, who wholesaled a pill of ecstasy at around 150,000 dong or 220,000-225,000 per pill on the streets.

Dam De