The Customs – the Gia Lai - Kon Tum Border Guard coordinate to block prohibited goods right atthe border

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Three Lao people were arrested while purchasing and transporting drugs to Vietnam

Block prohibited goods from border gates

On January 22, 2019, the Kon Tum Border Guard forces coordinated patrols with the Anti-Smuggling Control Team in the Central Region (the Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department - General Department of Customs), anddiscovered two carscarrying160kg of artillery.The suspectsclaimed theartillery was hired to transport for consumption from Attapu (Laos) province to Ngoc Hoi district, Kon Tum province.

The working groupmade a record of arresting people, seized material evidence andmeans forhandling according to law.According to the report of the Border Guard of Kon Tum province, in 2018 and first quarter of 2019, the Border Guard forces discovered 52 violations with 32 subjects, seized 4.2 tons of artillery and nearly 4,000 liters of diesel oil and hundreds of cubic meters of wood.

In Gia Lai province, the Border Guard forcesalso found37 violations with 36 subjects, seized 0.8kg of explosives, nearly 90kg of artillery, nearly 18,000 packs of tobacco, more than40m3 of wood and 1 ton of sugar.

Notably, Customs and Border Guard forces garrisoned on the Bo Y international border gate also discovered and handled many cases of trafficking and transporting narcotics across the border.

On March 10, implementing the plan for Project 915Lv, at a hotel in the Attapu area (Laos),the Border Guard of Kon Tum province cooperated with the Attapu Provincial Policeto arrest 3 suspectsbuying,selling and transporting narcoticsillegally from Laos to Vietnam. The seized evidence was 15,600 tablets of synthetic drugs.The unitcoordinated to complete the documents and procedures for handover to Attapu Provincial Police to continue investigation and handling according to the provisions of the law of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

Before that, at the end of 2018, in the process of making entry procedures at the conjugate area ofBo Y International Border Gate, officials ofCustomsSub-Department of Bo Y InternationalBorder Gatecoordinated with the forces of Bo Y International Border Guard Station to discover367 synthetic drug tablets and 1 kg of drugs in the luggage of the two subjects. The working team made a record and arrested the offenders to handlein accordance with the law.

With strict control, drug trading and transport activities were difficult to pass through the functional forces at the border gate, even in small quantities.

Specifically, at the beginning of January, 2019, while coordinating with Bo Y International Securities Border Guard Station to carry out immigration procedures atthe conjugate area ofBo Y International Border Gate, the Bo Y International CustomsSub-Departmentalso discovered 3 suspects in a Toyota Pradowith Cambodian license plate drove by Khan Thong Inthavongfrom Laos to Vietnam which had many suspicious signs.Checking the vehicles and luggage,the working team discovereditemssuspected of being drugs, including 16 tablets and 3 plastic bags containing white crystals.

The working team made a written record and handed over the suspectsand evidence to the Bo Y International Border Guardto proceed according to regulations.

Two drug smugglers were arrested at the Bo Y International Border Gate.

Enhanced coordination and patrol

According to the assessment of Gia Lai - Kon Tum Customs Department, at the borderline with Laos (the Bo Y International Border Gate), smuggling and illegal transportation of goods across the border was more complicated, increasing both in quantity and methods.

The smugglersused a variety of trickssuch as hiring people to transport large quantities across the border,hoarding goods andwaiting for a convenient time to bring them inland.

Also at the border with Cambodia (the Le ThanhInternational Border Gate),cases of smuggling and illegal transportation of goods across the border were fewand spontaneous,but also more complicated than before. The suspectsoften tookadvantage of rugged mountainous areas between the two border gates with many trails andshortcuts. They alsoused motorbikes or papooses atnight to transportthe goods across the border.When seeingfunctional forces,the suspectswere ready to throw away the goods to escape.

For trading and transporting drugs across the border, according to Mr. Vu Huy Thang, Customs Control Team,Gia Lai - Kon TumCustoms Department,the suspectsmoved from the North Central Province, forming a newtransportation line from Champasack- Attapu (Laos) to the Bo Y area.Realisingthat, the Customs force strengthened coordination with the Border Guards in exchanging and handlinginformation about drug-related crimes.The parties also informedeach other on developments and situations related to drug-related crime and the suspects who traded and transported illegalnarcotics and substancesonthe road border.

According to the forces, in the future, smuggling and illegal transportation of goods across the border will continue, presentingrisks and complications. Therefore, the forces will continue to collect information, sticking to the management area to handlethe situation.

In particular, the Customs and Border Guard will deploy professional measures,intensify patrols and control overpeople and vehicles entering and leaving border areas and border gates. At the same time, they willorganizeregularpatrols of trails and shortcuts along the border line topreventandfightacts of smuggling and illegal transport of goodsacross the border.Thereby, contributing to ensuring economic security,social safety and order, while promoting local socio-economic development.