Preventing guns and bullets smuggling by airlines

Smuggled guns and bullets that were seized by Customs of Tan Son Nhat international airport

On May 30, checking a batch of goods of souvenirs which seemed like personal items imported from the USA, addressed to receivers residing in District 1, Ho Chi Minh city, the Customs department of Ho Chi Minh City detected many parts and components of automatic guns, including 13 accessories such as springs and ammunition rounds

In the same day, the Customs department of Ho Chi Minh City also checked and seized a body of archery crossbows of Barneet Crossbows Brand, together with a viewfinder of Truglo brand, both of which ae highly lethgal. It was determined that the receiver of this goods lived in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh city.

On May 25, while checking 2 batches of goods sent to Vietnam from the USA, the Customs department of Ho Chi Minh City detected and seized tens of thousands of bullets, and more than 10 short guns of different kinds. More details, in a shipment addressed to a resident in Hau Giang, the Customs department of Ho Chi Minh City found 23,500 bullets hidden inside. More spectacularly, by checking through a shipment of imported acoustic speakers that showed a suspicious sign, the Custom department of Ho Chi Minh City found 11 short guns of all kinds inside.

Often, guns trafficked to Vietnam are usually disassembled to small parts, covered under cloths or personal amenities, then backed in package delivered to Vietnam as souvenir or presents. On 9 May, by checking a package of cloths sent from the USD to a Vietnamese person located in Tan Binh district, Ho Chi Minh City, the Customs department of Ho Chi Minh City collected a disassembled air gun, together with 50 bullets and 2 pepper sprays. Just 1 week after that, on May 14, Customs department of Ho Chi Minh City continued to seize many other parts and components of air gun namely pepper spray, compressed air, and ammunition...

Following the assessment by Customs officials who were directly involved in each case, guns smuggling to Vietnam is often detected during the month of  May when many important national events take place. Detecting and preventing this hot cargo smuggling on time has contributed significantly to stabilize the politics and security for the nation.

All the guns and bullets trafficking as mention above are widely investigated by the Police after the Customs handover its profile and for exhibition.

Mr. Tran Vinh Tuyen - Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee and the head of the city’s Steering committee 389 has just signed a directive document for the functional organizations to effectively prevent and strictly handle all the cases on transporting, storing, and trafficking toys of violence, which may cause damage to others.

Thus, Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has also assigned the Police, Customs, the Market management Branch of the city as well as People’s Committee in the Districts to build a detailed action plan, promote the role of its citizens in providing information, cooperating for better monitoring, checking and preventing on time all the acts of transporting, storing, and trafficking toys of violence, which may cause damage to others; and levy strict penalties on violated organizations and individuals under the provision of the law.

The press cooperates with the District People’s Committee and the Fatherland Front to launch communication and propaganda among enterprises and business stores for not transporting, storing, and trafficking toys of violence, which may cause damage to others; improve acknowledgment of the youth union’s members as well as people in the community, encourage them to be willing to provide information about the organizations or individuals who commit any of the above banned acts, thereby functional agencies will check and handle directly all the cases related to trading dangerous items in the areas of which they are in charge.

According to Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, during checking period in May 2016, functional forces have seized over 1500 toys which are guns, swords etc with lethality of all kinds from local warehouses.

As a result, Ho Chi Minh City Municipal Party Committee has required Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee to direct the functional organization to check and strictly fine any case of transporting, storing, and trafficking toys of violence, which may cause damage to others.