Keep the border peaceful

Strengthen patrol and control

In the days before, during and after the Lunar New Year of Quy Mao, despite the cold weather, officers and soldiers of Thanh Thuy Border Guard Station still regularly coordinate with the Thanh Thuy Commune Police and Military forces to carry out patrol and control work in the area and border areas; strictly manage people and vehicles entering and exiting the border area to create favorable conditions for people to enjoy Spring and celebrate Tet safely.

Thanh Thuy Border Guard Station coordinates with the police force and the commune militia to patrol the border and border markers. Photo: GH

Patrols and checks by officers and soldiers take place quietly day and night despite the fog and cold, because this is the time when criminals often take advantage to commit illegal acts.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Ngoc Tu - Political Commissar of Thanh Thuy Border Guard Station said: The unit is responsible for managing and protecting 6,595km of border adjacent to Laos, 4 border markers (from marker 459 to marker 462). This is a border area with 1,430 households/6,150 people, of which 36 households/149 people follow Catholicism, economic and social life is still slow to develop; the intellectual level of the people is uneven.

Land disputes and internal conflicts among the people still occur, criminal activities are increasingly sophisticated and cunning, especially criminal, drug and theft crimes with many complicated developments, causing instability in political security and social order and safety in the area.

The subjects in the ring trafficking and transporting 12,000 synthetic drug pills were arrested. Photo: Minh Tam

Therefore, for the task of ensuring security and order during the peak period before, during and after Tet, in addition to assigning officers and soldiers to be on duty at stations, teams, checkpoints, trails, etc., the unit has established working groups to coordinate with forces to organize secret patrols to prevent smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and illegal entry and exit across the border, in order to promptly detect and resolutely handle violations of laws and border regulations.

Typically, at around 5:30 p.m. on January 18, in the Cam stream area, Thanh Thuy commune, Thanh Thuy Border Guard Station coordinated with the special project chaired by Thanh Chuong District Police to arrest Tran Van Quynh (born in 1983), residing in Tien Chinh village, Vo Liet commune, Thanh Chuong district, on his way to transport drugs from the border area to Vo Liet commune. The seized evidence included 12,000 synthetic drug pills, 2 mobile phones, 1 gun and 12 bullets.

Through quick investigation, the reconnaissance teams successfully arrested Hoang Van Hieu (born in 1988) residing in Vo Liet commune and Tran Van Dung (born in 1991) residing in Thanh Long commune, Thanh Chuong district. These three subjects were part of a drug trafficking ring that transported drugs from Laos to Thanh Chuong district and then to southern provinces for consumption, led by Hoang Van Hieu.

Thanh Thuy Border Guard Station exchanges with Lao authorities to ensure border security. Photo: CSCC

Major Tran Van Long - Deputy Head of the Professional Station said: Not only during the peak period of Tet, but in the past time, the unit has coordinated with the Police and Military forces to organize hundreds of patrols, control border protection and crime prevention, thereby promptly detecting and handling many violations, contributing to maintaining security and order in the border area.

Specifically, in 2022, 16 cases/22 subjects were detected, arrested and handled, with evidence collected including 36,417 synthetic drug pills, 2.5 kg of crystal meth, 2 heroin bars, 1 military gun and 10 bullets, 10,000 USD, 14 cases/24 subjects were administratively fined, and 31,500,000 VND was paid to the State Treasury. In addition, 12 complicated cases of security and order were advised to the locality, keeping the border area peaceful.

Promoting the role of the people's "eyes and ears"

Along with strengthening patrol and control work in the locality and border areas, Thanh Thuy Border Guard Station also promotes propaganda work to raise people's awareness of law compliance, promoting the role of the people as "eyes and ears" in providing information and denouncing crimes to help the Border Guard force promptly handle incidents, contributing to ensuring security and order in the locality.

Conference to review the coordination regulations between Thanh Thuy Commune Party Committee and Thanh Thuy Border Guard Station. Photo: CSCC

To contribute to improving the work of propaganda, dissemination and legal education for officers and people in the area, the Party Committee and the Command Board of the station have proposed that all levels and sectors build 5 bookcases at the unit, 3 bookcases at schools and the headquarters of the People's Committee of Thanh Thuy commune with dozens of bookcases and book boxes, especially boxes for books on law and agriculture and forestry.

For the bookcases in schools and localities, they are regularly rotated through joint sessions to disseminate legal education, serving the research and study of cadres, people and students; for the unit's bookcases, there are regularly at least 18 books of all kinds, with a quantity of over 1,800 books, mainly on the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's laws, legal documents on the management and protection of the national border, building the Border Guard force and books on agriculture, health, life, etc.

Up to now, Thanh Thuy commune has had 16 private law bookcases with a total of 2,354 law books. The station has also consulted and coordinated with local Party committees and authorities to establish 2 propaganda teams to disseminate legal documents on the Vietnam Border Guard Law; National Border Law, Military Service Law, Environmental Protection Law, Drug Prevention Law, Fire Prevention and Fighting Law, etc., which have been highly appreciated by the locality.

Legal bookcase at Thanh Thuy Border Guard Station. Photo: Ngoc Tu

In addition to propaganda through the radio system, leaflets and brochures, and integrated into conferences, Thanh Thuy Border Guard Station has also proactively coordinated with the Department of Education and Training and schools in the area to do a good job of propaganda and dissemination of legal education (especially the model of "Border Lessons" in secondary schools) for 24 sessions with a total of more than 12,296 managers, teachers, employees, workers and students participating in the study. 100% of officers, teachers, employees and students signed a commitment not to violate the law.

A "Border Area Class" organized by Thanh Thuy Border Guard Station. Photo: GH

According to Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Ngoc Tu - Political Commissar of Thanh Thuy Border Guard Station: Determining that in order to firmly manage and protect national sovereignty and border security, we must first rely on the people, build a "people's heart position"; promote the role of the masses in protecting border sovereignty. The station has advised local Party committees and authorities to build and consolidate 1 militia platoon, 3 border and landmark self-management security teams, 12 village and hamlet self-management security teams, 3 villages with security and order safety; established 2 "Women with the law" clubs, 1 model of "Self-management, education of offenders to reintegrate into the community". At the same time, well implemented solutions to mobilize people to participate in denouncing crimes (denouncement mailbox, distribution of ballots...). Thereby, the people have provided 48 sources of information, of which 32 are valuable sources of information serving the fight against crime.

In 2022 alone, the station organized 3 campaigns to raise public awareness of crime reporting and drug prevention and control in 5 villages with 1,200 participants and commitments; coordinated to mobilize 25 subjects to voluntarily go to drug rehabilitation centers. People also proactively handed over 4 homemade guns and 1 grenade to superiors for handling.

In addition, implementing the Coordination Regulation between the Party Committee of Thanh Thuy Border Guard Station and the Party Committee of Thanh Thuy Commune, many security and order models in the area have been effectively deployed such as: Security camera model; administrative reform, community reintegration. In particular, in 2022, Thanh Thuy Commune was recognized as a drug-free border commune and a commune that met safety standards for security and order.

Thanh Thuy Commune Women's Union in collaboration with Thanh Thuy International Border Guard Station launched the Women's Law Club. Photo: CSCC

Talking about the role of the green-uniformed soldiers stationed in the area, the leader of Thanh Thuy commune (Thanh Chuong) said: "The Border Guard comrades of Thanh Thuy Border Gate Station are a solid support for the local Party Committee and government, and at the same time are the "steel shields" in protecting security, order, and national border sovereignty".