Major general Phan Van Vinh from the Ministry of Public Security on Thursday said public security tends to be complicated during the end of the year, but the timing is also good for police as they have had time to learn how and where crimes are likely to occur.

The ministry has pointed out criminal hot spots in 18 cities and provinces, including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, and the southern industrial hubs Dong Nai and Binh Duong provinces.

Vinh said the ministry will cooperate with local forces and focus on drug criminals, football gambling, robbery, and foreign thieves.

The raid will also deal with crimes in banking, stock market and shark loans.

Robust criminal fights launched in many places at the same time will yield good results, the ministry said.

“Police in different places will be connected, making it impossible for criminal ring leaders to cooperate, or to disperse their assets or hide,” said an unnamed official from the ministry.

Do Huu Ca, police chief of Hai Phong, said the city will enhance forces to curb criminal operations in the area, including emerging ones, to help reduce the number of national crimes. Hai Phong is the third largest city in Vietnam after Hanoi and HCMC. The city is also notorious for gangs.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung during the meeting with Hai Phong people on December 7 asked the city to better control its security and bring down the number of robberies and murders.

Duong Anh Dien, the city chairman, said the number of criminals has increased as the economy has gotten worse and many people are jobless.

Dien said the city government will support local businesses to create more jobs and to increase the wages for locals.

“We are trying to make people no longer know about Hai Phong as a gang land but as a peaceful place for investment and tourism,” he said.