Arrested 6 subjects transporting fireworks by truck from Quang Binh to Nghe An for sale

On September 6, the Nghi Loc District Police Investigation Agency announced: At 8:00 p.m. yesterday (September 5), the unit coordinated with the Customs Control Team (Nghe An Customs Department) to successfully break Project 919P, arresting 6 subjects trading in explosives.

Previously, in early September 2019, through local control work, Nghi Loc District Police discovered a number of subjects from Quang Binh province going to Nghe An to find sources to sell fireworks.

Verifying that the above information was well-founded, the leaders of Nghi Loc District Police directed the establishment of Project 919P and requested Nghe An Customs Department to coordinate the fight.

Four of the six suspects (middle) with the fireworks were arrested. Photo: Nhat Tuan

The task force has mobilized two working groups to Quang Binh province to verify and grasp the identities and activities of the subjects. Accordingly, all movements of these subjects are controlled by the task force.

At 8:00 p.m. on September 5, at the Nghi Van commune gas station, located on the Vinh bypass, the Task Force coordinated with the Customs Control Team (Nghe An Customs Department) to catch 6 subjects red-handed transporting 10 cardboard boxes containing 240 mortars, with a total weight of 347.1 kg.

The arrested subjects are: Dinh Ngoc Huan (born 1984), Dinh Thanh Binh (born 1987), Phan Anh Duc (born 1987), Dinh Manh Cuong (born 1992), all residing in Hoa Hop commune, Minh Hoa district; Dinh Thi Hoa Lai (born 1983), Nguyen Tan Tan (born 1985), all residing in Hung Thuy commune, Le Thuy district, Quang Binh province.

In addition to the above fireworks, the investigation team also seized 7 synthetic drug pills from Dinh Manh Cuong, 2 trucks, and 1 car.

At the investigation agency, the subjects initially confessed: In early September 2019, Dinh Ngoc Huan went to Nghi Loc district to connect with a subject named Tuan to buy and sell fireworks. Finding a consumer, Huan met and asked Dinh Thanh Binh to buy fireworks. Binh asked her cousin Dinh Thi Hoa Lai to buy fireworks to resell to Binh and Huan.

Lai went to the Vietnam-Laos border area to buy firecrackers from people who brought them across the border for 320,000 VND each and sold them to Binh for 380,000 VND. On September 5, Huan, Binh, and Lai agreed to bring the firecrackers to Nghe An for sale. Lai used a truck with license plate 73C - 06056 driven by her husband, Nguyen Tan Tan, to transport the firecrackers to Nghe An.

It is worth mentioning that the front wall of this truck was double-layered, creating a space next to the cabin to hide contraband. All 10 boxes of fireworks were placed inside. Inside the cargo container, the subjects placed many poultry cages for camouflage.

At noon of the same day, Huan, Binh invited Duc and Cuong to go in a small car with Lao license plate NN 8593 driven by Cuong to Nghe An to meet a man named Tuan. Accordingly, the subjects agreed on the delivery time at 8:00 p.m., during the match between the Vietnamese and Thai football teams. The location was the Nghi Van gas station on the Vinh bypass, with few people passing by.

Authorities searched, discovered and seized an additional 170 kg of fireworks at the home of Dinh Thi Hoa Lai and Nguyen Tat Tan.

On the way to the delivery location, the subjects saw a truck with license plate 29C - 97703 driven by Mr. Vo Hong Luyen, residing in Nghi Van commune, stopped on the side of the road and asked Mr. Luyen to drive them.

After being told that it was candy, Mr. Luyen agreed. Binh sat with Mr. Luyen and drove to Nghi Van gas station and waited for a while, then Lai and Tan's car arrived. When the subjects were transferring fireworks from Lai and Tan's car to Mr. Luyen's truck, the investigators of the special task force came and caught them red-handed.

In addition to 347.1 kg of firecrackers seized at Nghi Van gas station, when searching the residence of Lai and Tan in Quang Binh, the authorities also discovered and seized an additional 170 kg of the same type of firecrackers.