The case emerged after a video circulated on social media showing a Vietnamese man soliciting drugs from foreign visitors in the Old Quarter, triggering public outrage and concerns over Hanoi’s tourism image.
Following the footage, Major General Ngo Thanh Binh, head of the C04 Department under the Ministry of Public Security, ordered a task force to coordinate with Hanoi’s drug crime police and Hoan Kiem Ward police to verify the case.
Police later identified the man in the clip, saying he had previously worked as a taxi driver and was familiar with foreign tourists in the Old Quarter. Over the past two weeks, he had regularly appeared in the area to approach tourists and offer drugs, investigators said.
The man told police he used terms such as weed, coke and MDMA to gain tourists’ trust before taking them to massage parlours in exchange for commissions. He said he did not sell drugs himself and did not know the sources of supply.
Authorities said the man has no criminal record and tested negative for drugs. Police also warned the owners of the massage parlours involved, ordering them to tighten operations and prevent any repeat of illegal activity that could affect public order and harm the city’s tourism image.
