Blocking firecrackers and drugs on the Central Highlands border

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	Obstacles and shortcomings when Customs implement anti-smuggling- Part 2: Inadequacies in handling firecrackers and material evidence

Customs and border guards of Bo Y international border gate coordinate to seize smuggled firecrackers.

Goods are stopped continuously

According to the Kon Tum Border Guard Command, in early November, at a fishing site in Lec hamlet, Bo Y commune, Ngoc Hoi district, Kon Tum province, Kon Tum Border Guard arrested two people and seized 600 synthetic narcotic pills.

Along with drugs, as of the end of the year, the trading and transporting of firecrackers in the border area of ​​Kon Tum province increased. SinceSeptember 2019, the Kon Tum Border Guards have discovered, arrested, and handled seven cases, seizing nearly 930kg of firecrackers. Specifically, at the end of October, the Customs Department of Bo Y international border gate in collaboration with the Bo Y international border guard station discovered and seized 124kg of firecrackers. Recently, on December 4, during the patrol and control at Highway 40, the route from the center of Ngoc Hoi district to the Bo Y international border gate, the Central Committee for Drug and Crime Prevention, the Department Preventing drugs and crime of the Border Guard presided over and cooperated with the Border Guard Station at Bo Y international border gate, the Kon Tum Border Guard arrested an illegal transporter of nearly 137kg of firecrackers and 31kg of wild animals.

In Gia Lai province, at the beginning of November, at National Highway 19, section of Hra commune, Mang Yang district, PC08 Department (Police of Gia Lai province) inspected and discovered a car carrying 100 boxes of firecrackers witha weight of 213kg. Previously, at Le Thanh border gate, while patrollingthe bus station area of Le Thanh border gate, the Customs Control Team (Gia Lai - Kon Tum Customs Department) also discovered 500 cigarette packs of Hero brand without owner.

Two suspects(in the middle) were arrested by the Kon Tum Border Guards in early November with 600 synthetic drugs.

Proactively control the area

According to the Director of Gia Lai Customs Department - Kon Tum Ha Thai Long, over time, the relevantforces in the area have strengthened the control of security and order in the border area. Use of goods smuggled and illegally transported across borders in the area also decreased, so the situation of smuggling and illegal cross-border transportation of goods has tended to decrease.

However, drugs and firecrackers are still two key commodities in the border area of ​​Bo Y international border gate. Around Le Thanh international border gate, illegal trade and transportation of cashew and tobacco continued on a small scale. Accordingly, those who commit acts of smuggling and illegally transporting goods across borders are often border residents or ethnic minorities in the locality who are less knowledgeable about the law. These suspectsoften gather goods on the opposite side of the border gate, in the forest, then take advantage of the night and complex terrain to carry and use motorbikes to transport across the border inland. When detected, these suspectswere ready to fight against relevant forces to escape. In addition, the suspectsused tricks to tear apart goods to hide or strengthen the tunnel in vehicles such as passenger cars, trucks, tourist cars, and hand luggage that are difficult to control. The suspectsalso arranged followers at the headquarters of the Customs to actively evade inspection and control, thus causing a lot of difficulties in the fight against smuggling and illegal transportation of goods across theborder.

Especially with drugs, Kon Tum was not a prominent point in the past about illegal drug trafficking and cross-border trafficking. However, recently, the illegal trafficking and transportation of narcotics across the border of Bo Y international border gate is increasing. Earlier this year, the Customs Enforcement Unit (Gia Lai - Kon Tum Customs Department) in coordination with the authorities successfully handledthe 218LP Special Project, destroying the trading and transportation lines,illegal drugs from Laos to Vietnam, seizing more than 300kg of drugs.

Through information gathering and grasping the situation in the locality, the Customs Department of Gia Lai - Kon Tum said that a number of drug addicts and drug dealers who moved their operating areas from the northern central provinces into areas of Bo Y international border-gate area are more and more crowded, forming a drug transit route from Laos to other regions through Bo Y international border gate. Trafficking and transportation of drugsacross the border will increase in the near future.

Leaders of Gia Lai - Kon Tum Customs Department regularly grasping the cadres and civil servants in the unit always raise alertness, high concentration and regularly implement professional customs control measures. Thereby ensuring the timely detection and handling of arising situations, ensuring safety and efficiency on the basis of strengthening the collection and processing of information from many sources without affecting the customs clearance of import and export goods.

Gia Lai - Kon Tum Customs Department also strengthened close coordination with forces stationed in the area such as Police, Border Guards to coordinate patrol and strict control of passengers and luggage of passengers, visitors, transport means on exit and entry through the border gate. At the same time, actively coordinating with local authorities to propagate, educate, fight and prevent trafficking, illegal trafficking of drugs and precursors in Gia Lai and Kon Tum provinces.