Role of Customs in seizure of nearly 1 ton of fireworks in Lang Son

	Ministry of Public Security spokesman: It is necessary to distinguish fireworks and firecrackers to avoid violations
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The suspect Luong Ngoc Tung and seized firecrackers made in China

On October 20, speaking to reporters about this incident, the leader of Team 4 said: based on Plan No. 3535/KHPH dated May 24, 2023, between the Police Department for Administrative Management of Social Order; Border Guard Command and General Department of Customs on coordination to prevent and fight illicit trade in weapons, explosives, support tools and artillery on the border; implementing Official Dispatch No. 662/DTCBL-P1 dated June 13, 2023 of the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department on the implementation of Plan 3535, the unit has taken measures to promptly detect and prevent violations.

Trade activities between Vietnam and China on the Northern border have become bustling again after the Chinese side restored normal import-export and immigration activities from the beginning of 2023, which increases the potential risk of suspects taking advantage of import and export activities to transport banned goods such as firecrackers, explosives from China to Vietnam.

Faced with that situation, the Working Group of Team 4 in Lang Son area has strengthened to grasp the situation to prevent and handle acts of illicit trade of banned goods such as firecrackers, explosives as well as other violations of customs.

Motivated by taking professional measures, the Working Group of Team 4 in Lang Son area discovered suspicious information related to the exploitation of agricultural export activities from Vietnam to China for transportation of prohibited goods.

Specifically, Vietnamese agricultural goods are exported to China in large containers and trucks. After these vehicles exit and unload goods on the Chinese side, they will return to Vietnam. Normally, when vehicles re-enter Vietnam, they will not carry goods or only carry a very small volume of goods.

Taking advantage of this, some subjects reinforced the undercarriage area, cabin... to store prohibited goods such as firecrackers, and fireworks in order to bypass the authorities to bring the goods to Vietnam.

After collecting the information, Team 4 reported to and received approval from the leader of the Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department for the unit to coordinate with Lang Son City Police to apply professional measures to fight violations.

Implementing the fight coordination plan, on the evening of October 18, at National Highway 1A in Mai Pha commune, Lang Son City, the working group of Team 4 and Lang Son City Police inspected tractor-trailers with license plate 12H - 015.99, towing a semi-trailer with license plate 12R - 014.29 driven by Luong Ngoc Tung, born in 1984, residing in Yen The district, Bac Giang province for suspicious signs.

Through inspection, the working group discovered and confiscated the water tank mounted to the semi-trailer undercarriage and the empty space between the water tank and the semi-trailer undercarriage with 458 boxes of Chinese firecrackers, weighing 667.5 kg and 980 artillery pieces, weighing 47.5kg.

The suspect Luong Ngoc Tung admitted that he bought the above firecrackers s in China and brought them to Bac Giang.

In addition, in the area near the northern bus station in Hoang Dong commune, Lang Son city, the working group inspected the tractor truck with license plate 98E - 010.58 towing a semi-trailer with license plate 98R - 036.79 driven by Tran Van Diep, born in 1989, residing in Lang Giang district, Bac Giang.

Through inspection, the working Group confiscated 120 boxes of fireworks weighing 168 kg, hidden under a semi-trailer.

Tran Van Diep admitted that he hired someone to make a water tank on the truck to hide firecrackers to bring them to his hometown for use during the Tet holiday.

The case is further investigated.

Tra Linh Customs collaborate to seize 700 kg of smuggled fireworks from China

The destruction of the above two large-scale cases of fireworks and firecrackers shows the initiative, determination, and effectiveness of the Customs force in deploying professional measures to both facilitate trade activities and ensure state management of customs, contributing to ensuring security and community safety.