(KPL) Speaking during the Second Ordinary Session of the 10th National Assembly on October 7, 2026, Lt. Gen. Vanthong said the move would provide a clearer and more uniform legal framework for administrative and judicial authorities involved in drug-related cases.

He said a National Assembly resolution would help ensure greater consistency throughout the judicial process, from investigation and prosecution to court proceedings and sentencing.

Following adoption of the resolution, the Ministry of Public Security will coordinate with the Office of the Supreme People's Prosecutor, People's Supreme Court, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to develop joint implementation guidelines.

The guidelines will strengthen the monitoring and control of newly emerging narcotics and chemical precursors and improve coordination among relevant agencies.

Lt. Gen. Vanthong said existing drug-control mechanisms have faced challenges because the current legal framework does not provide a sufficiently comprehensive legislative basis specifying prohibited narcotics and controlled chemicals.

He noted that gaps in monitoring industrial chemicals have also created risks of legally imported chemicals being diverted from central areas to northern parts of the country for illicit drug production.

The Ministry of Public Security, together with the Ministry of Justice, the Office of the Supreme People's Prosecutor and the People's Supreme Court, has held regular four-way judicial coordination meetings to improve enforcement. The eighth meeting was held on September 21, 2026.

Lt. Gen. Vanthong said upgrading the drug lists to a National Assembly resolution would help close legal and enforcement gaps, strengthen inter-agency coordination and ensure more consistent application of the law in combating illicit drugs.

KPL