At around midnight on March 22, nearly 200 officers from multiple agencies simultaneously raided the 1,300-square-meter drug lab located near a cemetery in Vinh Luong Commune, Nha Trang.
According to Vietnam's Department of Drug Crime Investigation Police (C04), this operation represents the largest and most serious drug production facility ever uncovered in the country.
In this image, Major General Nguyen Van Long (2nd, R), Deputy Minister of Public Security, inspects the scene alongside other officials.
Investigators found sophisticated equipment including reaction vessels for synthesizing drug precursors, temperature-control systems, chemical pumps, and material-transfer equipment.
Police described the setup as "modern and professional."
Ringleader Zhang Chunming, 51, a Taiwanese, installed surveillance cameras, deployed guards, and kept dogs on-site to prevent intrusions.
Hundreds of durable blue plastic barrels, each containing approximately 200 liters, were used to store various precursor chemicals.
Under the disguise of operating a foam chemical business for wastewater treatment, Zhang had established a complete drug production operation.
Police arrested Zhang, his right-hand man, Vietnamese national Doan Van Hung (42), along with four mainland Chinese, three Taiwanese, and three Vietnamese accomplices.
Many barrels filled with precursor chemicals were still at the facility.
During phase one, the group produced 1.8 tons of yellow powder, packed into 27 styrofoam containers stored in a refrigerated warehouse in Nha Trang.
For phase two, Zhang recruited four Vietnamese and two mainland Chinese experts skilled in advanced drug production techniques. They operated out of a warehouse located at 47 Cat Loi Street, Nha Trang.
In the photo above, military-grade pots were used to heat precursor substances mixed with activated carbon at 200 degrees Celsius, the final step in synthesizing ketamine.
When police arrived, the group was still boiling five pots on industrial gas stoves, each containing 14–15 kg of solvent, ultimately yielding around 10 kg of pure ketamine.
Activated carbon floated on the surface, turning it black, but removing the layer revealed the yellow drug substance beneath.
After boiling the mixture, the group employed multi-layered filtration systems to produce high-quality ketamine.
All drug production activities occurred overnight into early morning hours. After each production phase, the entire crew was replaced with new members.
Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Vien, head of the C04 department, assessed that the suspects had "very high skills and experience in drug production."
Investigators seized a total of 1.4 tons of highly pure ketamine along with nearly 80 tons of chemicals.
Vien said the ketamine was likely meant to be smuggled to Taiwan, where it could have been sold for around US$55 million on the black market.
The investigation is ongoing and expanding.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent a commendation letter to the task force, recognizing the operation as an exceptional achievement that effectively targeted major transnational drug production rings.
The bust helps cut off drug supplies and prevents Vietnam from becoming a hub for international drug trafficking.
