Fire-crackers were detected in Hai Duong province recently. (Photo: VNA)Quang Tri (VNA) - As Tet(Lunar New Year) holiday approaches, firecracker smuggling is again "hot"in the border areas. Several tonnes have already been seized by customsauthorities as they head across the border into Vietnam.
Police, border guards and marketmanagements in the central province of Quang Tri and Quang Binh provinces havebeen seizing tens of cases of Lao-made firecrackers.
On December 30, more than 150kg of fireworkswere discovered in Quang Tri province’s Lao Bao township, according to borderpoint officials.
Earlier, provincial police stopped asuspicious car in Vinh Linh district and discovered nearly 300kg offirecrackers.
The driver, Nguyen Tan Tan, 32,confessed that he bought the goods at Huong Hoa district of Quang Trị provinceto sell in Quang Binh province.
Border guards also arrested twopeople for allegedly transporting 163kg of explosives for sale at A Ho villagein Thanh commune on December 25.
In Quang Binh province, police haveseized more than 3.7 tonnes of different types of firecrackers.
Smugglers are using more and moresophisticated tricks to transport banned products into Vietnam, said ColonelPhan Thanh Quang, head of Police Office in Huong Hoa district.
The Government has bannedfirecracker production, trade and use since 1995. However, every year there arereports of illegal firecracker smuggling and subsequent accidents in the daysahead of the Tet holidays.
Colonel Quang said the Police Officealso sent officials to hot spots such as Tan Long and Tan Thanh communes andLao Bao township to encourage local residents to sign a commitment not to buy,sell or use firecrackers.
In order to effectively preventsmuggling, they are co-ordinating with authorities in Laos to implement drasticmeasures, he said.
Northern border provinces includingLang Son, Ha Giang and Quang Ninh are also hot spots for firecracker smuggling.
Authorities in Lang Son provincehave discovered 134 cases involving 173 suspects and seized more than sixtonnes of firecrackers.
Recently, provincial police seized150kg of firecrackers transported by waterway from China to Vietnam and then bycar and motorbike to the domestic market.
Nguyen Xuan Tien, head of aprovincial police patrol team, said smugglers used many tricks to hide theproducts, especially in passenger cars departing from Mong Cai city.
In particular, Highway 18 was the roadthat smugglers often use to illegal transporting firecrackers from China, hesaid.
Smugglers from Quang Ninh and BacGiang provinces are also known to get together to carry goods to Hai Duongprovince for selling, Tien said.
On December 7, police in Hai Duong provincediscovered three smugglers transporting 183kg of firecrackers.
On January 1, police and soldiers in Ha Giang province detected peopletransporting firecrackers in Meo Vac distict’s Xin Cai commune. They seized 58casks containing 1.2 tonnes of foreign-made firecrackers.
Accordingto the soldiers, this was the largest cache of firecrackers uncovered in theprovince. -VNA
VNA
