The Golden Triangle—the area where the borders of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar converge—is considered one of the most complicated narcotics-trafficking hotspots in the world. More research is needed, however, to understand the supply and demand resources as well as the overall structure of transnational narcotics trafficking (TransNT) in this area and neighboring regions. The present paper provides an in-depth examination of the organisational structure of TransNT in the borderland between Vietnam and Laos, using multiple qualitative approaches to identify four key aspects of trafficking groups in this area: namely, group size, the relative centrality of lead actors in the trafficking networks, the flexibility and adaptability of network operations, and the personal attributes of traffickers. Depending on the number of drug traffickers involved, TransNT in Vietnam can be separated into small, medium, and large-scale groups; however, drug markets in Vietnam are not controlled by monopolistic groups or ‘cartels’. Notably, cross-border networks tend to have a fluid structure characterised by a sophisticated modus operandi from the preparation stages to the later stages of trafficking activity, enabling the criminal networks to achieve their goals.

中文翻译：

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东南亚跨国贩毒集团的组织结构——以越老边境为例

金三角——泰国、老挝和缅甸边界的交汇处——被认为是世界上最复杂的毒品走私热点之一。然而，需要更多的研究来了解该地区和邻近地区的供需资源以及跨国麻醉品贩运 (TransNT) 的整体结构。本文深入研究了越南和老挝边境地区 TransNT 的组织结构，使用多种定性方法来确定该地区贩运团体的四个关键方面：即团体规模、主要参与者的相对中心性在贩运网络中，网络操作的灵活性和适应性，以及贩运者的个人属性。根据涉及的贩毒者人数，越南的 TransNT 可分为小型、中型和大型团体；然而，越南的毒品市场不受垄断集团或“卡特尔”的控制。值得注意的是，跨境网络往往具有流动结构，其特点是从贩运活动的准备阶段到后期阶段都有复杂的作案手法，使犯罪网络能够实现其目标。