Hanoi Times - An inadequate legal framework is impeding with police efforts to deal with the growing problem of high-tech crime.

High-tech violations in the country are increasingly diverse, including hacking into bank databases to steal passwords or money, tax evasion, etc., according to the High-tech Crime Investigation Division of the Ministry of Public Security.

Vietnamese lawbreakers are linking up with foreign individuals and organisations to establish transmission networks via advanced telecommunications devices to evade taxes and postal charges, among others.

The nation’s improper IT facilities and untrained IT staff at several ministries, businesses and organisations make it easy for high-tech criminals to attack and change databases.

Senior Lieutenant-General Le The Tiem, deputy minister of Public Security, said the close co-operation between his ministry and various banks in recent years have prevented several breaches. However, the number of discovered cases is much smaller than the actual amount of violations.

Under the current criminal code, all practices using high-tech equipment to appropriate assets are illegal, and will be prosecuted, according to Do Thuy Van of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).

However, such crimes are carried out with sophisticated methods that clear tracing evidence, creating difficulties for investigative teams to assemble enough documentation for the prosecution.

MoJ has petitioned the Government to adjust definitions of evidence in high-tech cases and the way it is collected, said Van. Pictures, files and videos saved o­n computers or computer networks should be admissable in open court.

MoJ has also asked the Government to give inspection agencies the right to use special techniques in the investigative process, such as recovering deleted databases.

Appeals for the right to request information relevant to criminal cases from telecommunication service providers, and the right to access defendants’ computers for evidence have also been made, she said.