Intellasia News Services -- Drug bust stings Hai Phong bar

Drug bust stings Hai Phong bar
Source: 26-AUG-2008 Intellasia | Thanhniennews
Aug 26, 2008 - 7:00:00 AM
A squad of 200 Hai Phong Police and Ministry of Public Security officers raided a popular bar here on Friday night, seizing dozens of ecstasy pills and putting 190 people in custody.

About 37 of those detained at "Friendly" a bar located at 31 Dien Bien Phu Street, Ngo Quyen District tested positive for drug use that night. Authorities also found several weapons, including an electric club and lock-breaking equipment.

A source told Thanh Nien that there were several members of a city football team present at Friendly during the raid. The players were celebrating their V-League performance and five of them tested positive for drugs, according to the source.

According to Tran Quang Vinh, head of the city Police Department's Drug Criminal Investigation Unit, many people had mixed their drugs into their drinks at the bar.

Vinh said the number of guests at the bar owned by Nguyen Hai Hung, 36 often topped 500 on busy nights.

The authorities transferred several of those detained to local drug rehabilitation centres.

According to a police report, Friendly was originally a dance club known as Bien Goi. The club lost its license earlier this year and two murders have occurred at the site in the past.