Illegal transportation of fireworks in the Central border

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Suspect Luong Van Duong (middle) and 15 kg of fireworks caught by Nghe An Police and Customs on July 30, 2022. Photo: H. Nu

Many smuggling rings and suspects were arrested

Thanks to good control of the Covid-19 pandemic, economic, social, trade and tourism activities have returned to normal nationwide. In the central region, the Governments of Vietnam and Laos have agreed to allow border gate pairs connecting the two countries to resume normal operation after a long interruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Therefore, criminals have also taken advantage of this situation to increase smuggling, mainly crimes related to the trafficking of fireworks, drugs, and forest products.

Smugglers have abused the lack of knowledge of the law as well as the difficult life of the border citizens to hire them to transport fireworks from Laos to Vietnam. After that, they will try to bring the banned goods inland for consumption, making illegal profits.

Typically, on July 30, 2022, the Customs Enforcement Team (Nghe An Customs Department) coordinated with Nghe An Police to arrest Luong Van Duong, born in 1982, residing in Nghi Thai commune for transporting more than 156kg of fireworks of all kinds produced in foreign countries.

On July 21, Nghe An police detained Nguyen Van Dai, born in 1984, residing in Nhu Thanh district, Thanh Hoa for transporting 310kg of fireworks on a pick-up truck from abroad to Nghe An for consumption.

Previously, on June 16, Nghe An police dismantled the trafficking rings of nearly five quintals of firecrackers. At the headquarters of the investigating agency, five suspects in these rings confessed that they bought these firecrackers to gather at their houses and wait until the Lunar New Year to sell to customers in Nghe An province and surrounding areas.

Most recently, on August 9, at ​​Ma Cho bridge, Huong Vinh commune, Huong Khe district, Ha Tinh province, the Border Guard and Ha Tinh police caught Truong Ngoc Thu, born in 1985, residing in hamlet 5, Huong Lien commune, Huong Khe district, Ha Tinh province while he drove a pickup truck BKS 38C-16243 to illegally transport 200kg of illegal explosives for the purpose of bringing them to inland for consumption.

Actively fighting against smuggling

Vietnamese law has specific regulations on the use of fireworks. On November 27, 2020, the Government issued Decree 137/2020/ND-CP on the management and use of fireworks. Accordingly, the use of firecrackers and explosive fireworks is absolutely banned. According to the decree, people are allowed to use fireworks that are produced manually or industrially, when there is an impact of a pulse of mechanical, thermal, chemical or electrical stimulation it will create sound, color and light effects in space but cause an explosion.

In addition, the decree stipulates that agencies, organizations and individuals with full capacity of civil acts are allowed to use fireworks in cases of holidays, Tet, birthdays, weddings, conferences, grand openings, and anniversaries, cultural and artistic activities. Those who want to use fireworks may only purchase them from manufacturers under the Ministry of National Defense.

However, a large number of people still secretly use firecrackers of unknown origin, especially on the occasion of the annual Lunar New Year. Thus, the suspects illegally import fireworks from neighboring countries to sell them to Vietnamese customers. To avoid detection by authorities, the smugglers often transport fireworks on border crossings; use many tricks to hide the goods and divide them for transportation, etc., causing difficulties in investigation and handling.

According to Nghe An Police, the profits from this illegal act are very high, so suspects have found ways to bring fireworks from abroad to Vietnam despite strict sanctions.

Facing that situation, determining that fighting against violations related to fireworks is a regular and continuous task every year and especially the peak period of the end of the year, the People's Committee of Nghe An province has asked the competent authorities to focus on key routes, locations and suspects; review vehicle owners, drivers on roads and waterways with suspicious expressions of trafficking of fireworks and firework powder, especially those often travel cross the border areas and seaports.

Furthermore, the competent agencies have been requested to strengthen control of border routes, sea routes, railway stations, bus stations, commercial centers, markets and trading areas with a large concentration of people to detect, handle and prevent illegal importation, production, trading, stockpiling and use of fireworks and firework powder.

Talking to Customs News, a representative of the Customs Enforcement Team said that the unit has strictly followed the direction of the People's Committee of Nghe An province.

Customs seizes more than half of hundredweight of firecrackers at Binh Phuoc border

At the border area of ​​Nam Can international border gate, the Customs unit has also arranged officers to strictly control the border and worked with related units to fight against smuggling and illegal transportation of fireworks across the border.