A police department’s attempt at relatable social media engagement has ignited a fierce debate over human dignity and the ethics of publicizing drug arrests.
The Latest: In recent days, the official fan page of the Drug Crime Investigation Police Division under the Hồ Chí Minh City Police Department has drawn widespread anger from residents over posts that tout their “achievements” in sweeping up drug users.
The posts, which carry a distinct, joking tone, have drawn tens of thousands of interactions, a massive spike compared to the page’s usual average of fewer than 1,000 engagements.
The Details: The controversy stems from several specific posts that utilize casual and teasing language regarding law enforcement operations.
In a May 24 post, the fan page shared an image featuring the text:
“‘I dare you to catch me, I’m out partying by the beach.’ Do you know where in Hồ Chí Minh City, after the merger, people can both ‘party’ and go to the beach?”
The page administrators added,
“Ah, a challenge??? Let me ask everyone first, then I’ll decide.”
Within the comments, the official account further wrote,
“I am under 100 years old this year and have never seen anything like this. If there is a violation, I’ll arrest the whole group.”
Another update on May 22 showcased police inspecting a recording studio, accompanied by the caption:
“This afternoon, admin will visit a music producer and a singer to see whether they test positive. Then admin will decide what to do next… Told the two guys to stay calm and cooperate, but they don’t seem very calm.”
Similarly, an earlier post from March 21—that received nearly 40,000 interactions—teased an upcoming operation, stating:
“Cue the music… Continuing our promised appointment… At exactly 11:30 a.m. tomorrow, May 22, 2026, let’s return here and meet again to hear news of victory.”
Public Reaction: In the comment sections, many accounts expressed support.
Under one update detailing the arrest of 140 people—which garnered nearly 200,000 likes and comments—an account named Trần Lê Trí Thức wrote:
“It’s 12:05 already, officers. I’m so eager. It’s midnight where I am. Hurry up so I can go to sleep.”
Conversely, numerous readers have condemned the division’s online behavior.
On Threads, an account named iamthomas.weiss wrote:
“Are we really turning security and police work into a reality TV show? Investigating and arresting criminals is good; reporting results to the people is also good. But doing it with glee, as if hunting animals? […] Don’t tell me this is casual, down-to-earth language ‘for the people.’ That is just an excuse for carelessness and contempt for human dignity.”
Another user, vudinh5, expressed similar outrage:
“Honestly, in recent days, posts about drugs have been appearing on my feed, from official pages to public pages jumping on the trend, and reading them has made me furious. […] Especially when the United Nations is encouraging societies to view people who use or are dependent on addictive substances as patients with medical disorders, rather than treating them only as criminals.”
On Facebook, a user named Phượng posted a criticism with attached screenshots from the fan page. The police account responded in the comments, claiming that its communication style “has helped the public know the unit better.” Phượng’s post is currently inaccessible.
The Background: These social media posts coincide with a broader law enforcement push by the Hồ Chí Minh City Police Department, which launched a campaign titled “45 Days and Nights to ‘Erase’ Drug Crime” on May 17, 2026.
During this ongoing sweep, many citizens have complained that local police are using “drug checks” as a pretext to search their bodies, inspect their mobile phones, and examine personal belongings without proper justification.
Why It Matters: On Dec. 12, 2025, the Hồ Chí Minh City Party Committee issued Resolution 02 to improve the effectiveness of efforts to prevent and combat drug crimes, establishing the goal of building a drug-free city by 2030.
Within the resolution, city leaders identified “drug crime as a source crime that leads to other types of crime,” declaring that it “degrades the quality of the race and the labor force, increases other types of crime, causes negative consequences, and adversely affects the city’s living environment, investment, and development.”
As a result, police forces—specifically commune-level police and those investigating drug crimes—have been assigned a “main assault” role.
Resolution 02 also mandates the strengthening of state management, including tighter controls over residence registration and conditional business sectors.
The document explicitly outlines that authorities will tightly control groups of people addicted to drugs, those using drugs illegally, or those under post-rehabilitation management.
Furthermore, demographic groups categorized as “unemployed or unstably employed youth and adolescents” will be subjected to specific monitoring and management “for each subject.”
Hoàng Nam wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on June 2, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine has the copyrights to the English translation.
