Duties and powers of the Department of Economic Police in Vietnam in 2025

Duties and powers of the Department of Economic Police in Vietnam in 2025​ (Image from the Internet)

On February 27, 2025, the Minister of Public Security of Vietnam issued Circular 11/2025/TT-BCA stipulating the organization, apparatus, duties, and powers of the Investigative Agency; assigning the Chief, Deputy Chief of the Investigative Agency; the authority for criminal investigation within the People's Police. Circular 11/2025/TT-BCA takes effect from March 1, 2025.

Duties and powers of the Department of Economic Police in Vietnam in 2025

According to Article 12 of Circular 11/2025/TT-BCA, the duties and powers of the Department of Economic Police are regulated as follows:

1. Organize criminal alert duty (in cases not located at the same headquarters with the Office of the Provincial Police Investigation Agency); receive crime information, case files, and criminal cases transferred by other agencies for classification and resolution according to jurisdiction or transfer to the competent agency for resolution. In case of jurisdictional disputes among units within the Provincial Police Investigation Agency, report to the Chief of the Provincial Police Investigation Agency to decide which unit will handle the case.

2. Implement policies, report to the Chief of the Provincial Police Investigation Agency (through the Office of the Provincial Police Investigation Agency) on criminal investigation work according to legal regulations.

3. Resolve sources of crime information, investigate criminal cases under the jurisdiction of the Provincial Police Investigation Agency on crimes stipulated in Chapters XVIII, XIX, XXIII, Articles 174 to 180 of Chapter XVI (in cases where individuals exploit the legal status of agencies, organizations, enterprises to sign economic contracts to commit crimes) and Article 324 of Chapter XXI of the Criminal Code 2015 (amended, supplemented in 2017).

4. Guide, direct investigative procedures for specific cases concerning crimes stipulated in Clause 3, Article 12 of Circular 11/2025/TT-BCA when Investigators, or Investigative Officers of the Provincial Police Investigation Agency assigned at the District Police are assigned to handle and resolve.

5. Perform other duties and exercise other powers as assigned by the Chief of the Provincial Police Investigation Agency.

Structure, duties, and powers of the provincial Police Investigation Agency

As per legal provisions, the structure, duties, and powers of the Provincial Police Investigation Agency are prescribed in Clauses 1 and 3 of Article 9 of Circular 11/2025/TT-BCA as follows:

* Organizational Structure of the Provincial Police Investigation Agency

- Office of the Investigative Agency;

- Criminal Investigation Department (abbreviated as the Criminal Police Department);

- Department of Anti-Corruption, Economic, Smuggling and Environmental Crime Investigation (abbreviated as the Department of Economic Police);

- Narcotics Crime Investigation Department.

* Duties and Powers of the Provincial Police Investigation Agency

- Organize criminal alert duties, receive crime information; classify and resolve crime information within jurisdiction or immediately transfer to competent agencies for resolution;

- Conduct criminal investigations for crimes stipulated in Chapters XIV to XXIV of the Criminal Code 2015 (amended, supplemented in 2017) when such crimes are under the jurisdiction of the Provincial People's Court, District People's Court, except for crimes within the investigative jurisdiction of the Supreme People’s Procuracy and the People's Public Security Investigative Agency;

- Guide departments tasked with carrying out certain investigative activities of the People's Police force under the Provincial Police, perform investigative activities; guide and direct investigative procedures, check adherence to legal regulations in carrying out the tasks of receiving, classifying, and handling crime denunciations and information by District Police Stations and Police Posts;

- Execute other duties and powers as stipulated by law regarding criminal investigations and criminal proceedings.

Refer to detailed content in Circular 11/2025/TT-BCA effective from March 1, 2025.

Phan Nhat Vy

>> CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ARTICLE IN VIETNAMESE