Stressfully prevent smuggled firecrackers

	Lang Son Customs: drastically prevent smuggled firecrackers at the end of the year
	Unmask the trick of hiding 46kg of firecrackers inside cab
	Smuggled firecrackers and cigarettes slip underhand into border of Central Highlands

Tan Thanh Customs and Border Guard coordinated to arrest firecrackers illegally transported across the border. Photo: H. Nu

Break out across provinces and cities

As a rule, in the months approaching Tet, the situation of trading and transporting firecrackers across the border into our country has complicated developments. Functional forces such as Customs, Police, Border soldiers, Market Management... have arrested many cases of purchasing, transporting firecrackers with large quantities.

On November 5, 2018, Tan Thanh Customs Branch (Lang Son Customs Department) chaired and coordinated with Lang Son Provincial Police and Tan Thanh Border Guard Station, to detect a 220kg shipment (identified to be ownerless) of explosive fire-drill fireworks made in China.

On December 8, 2018, the Customs Sub-Department of Lao Bao International Border Gate (Quang Tri Customs Department) coordinated with Border Guard forces to detect an object who had hidden 120 kg of fireworks labeled DM-A8512. On December 19, at Khon underground area, 30m from the Vietnamese border (Tan Hoi hamlet, Tan Thanh commune, Bu Dop district), Cau Trang border guard station coordinated with Tan Tien border-gate customs to arrest an object named Tran Duong Trung, who was transporting 41 kg of firecrackers.

On December 22, Ha Tinh Border Guard forces arrested an object carrying more than 60 kg of firecrackers from Quang Binh to Ha Tinh for selling. In Quang Tri, according to the statistics from the Quang Tri Border Guard, since September, this force has discovered 9 cases of transporting illegal firecrackers, seized more than 1 ton of this item. Most recently, Quang Tri Border Guard arrested two cases of transporting illegal firecrackers across the border, with a total weight of nearly 400 kg.

For the northern provinces, on December 16 at Km 165+500, Highway 3, the Traffic Police Department of Bac Kan Police Department detected and arrested 109 boxes of fireworks weighing 158.4 kg; 2 explosive firecracker boxes with a weight of 6.5 kg...

Most recently (at noon 3/1/2019), Lang Son Police collaborated with functional forces of Luc Ngan district (Bac Giang province) to detect and arrest a car driver carrying 17 sacks containing 301 kg fireworks and pods.

According to the statistics from Lang Son Steering Committee 389, Lang Son police arrested over 30 cases of fireworks transporting and trading, seizing tons of Chinese firecrackers. At the border, the local Customs and Border Guard forces organized a series of raids on many smuggled firecrackers cases. Accordingly, Lang Son Customs has chaired and coordinated with functional forces to detect 26 cases, seized 1,649.36kg of firecrackers (including 8 cases with owners, 18 derelict cases); Lang Son Border Guards stopped 61 cases, arrested 74 subjects, seized over 4.6 tons of firecrackers.

Pod firecrackers

According to the representative of Lang Son Steering Committee 389, trading and transporting firecrackers across the border in Lang Son province took place at all times of the year, especially, increasing sharply at the end of the year. The illegal trading and transportation of firecrackers usually takes place on the two sides of the borders of Tan Thanh, Huu Nghi, Coc Nam, Chi Ma and Dong Dang township… Due to high profits, smugglers use all kinds of tricks to transport firecrackers to domestic markets. Each small fire-drill firecracker purchased from the other side of the border costs only 30,000 - 40,000 VND, but when transported into inland provinces it can be sold for 5 to 7 times higher.

Stronger handling is needed

According to the evaluation of functional forces, approaching the time of Lunar New Year 2019, the state of trading and transporting firecrackers continued to rise. The police, market management forces of provinces, border and customs offices at the border gates also simultaneously launched a raid attack on criminals, which focused on the forces effectively fighting firecracker-related crimes.

Only less than 1 month to the Lunar New Year 2019, therefore, one of the simultaneous and urgent solutions deployed by the forces is to strengthen forces focusing on key routes, areas, objects... to prevent firecrackers from being spread to the market.

According to the representative of the Border Guard Command, due to the high profits from the firecracker trade, while the sanctions are not strict enough as deterrence, smugglers are still freely operating. Meanwhile, the struggle with transporting and trading firecrackers across the border is facing many difficulties, and there needs to be fierce involvement between the authorities and functional forces. In recent years, lighting fireworks have occurred in many localities in the whole country. For this situation, the responsibility belongs to the local authorities.

Smuggling firecrackers will be "Hot" soon VCN- Preliminary statistics show that in only two months of August and September this year, related forces ...

All levels and branches need to strengthen propaganda and mobilize people not to buy, sell use any kinds of fireworks and firecrackers during holidays and Tet; to actively detect and denounce acts related to trading, transporting and storing firecrackers… Thus, the struggle for preventing this situation can be really effective. Thereby, preventing and repelling smugglers from the area, contributing to keeping the people's life peaceful when welcoming the Lunar New Year 2019, the representatives of the Border Guard Command emphasized.