Nghe An assigns responsibility to sectors and localities in managing and mobilizing people to hand over weapons and explosives.

“Habit” of illegally storing weapons

In early 2024, Na Ngoi Border Guard Station, Nghe An Border Guard coordinated with the People's Committee of Na Ngoi Commune (Ky Son) to organize propaganda and mobilize the surrender and recovery of weapons, explosives and support tools in Phu Quac 2 village, Na Ngoi Commune. Thanks to the combination of working measures, people handed over 5 homemade guns, including 3 alcohol guns, 2 flintlock guns and 1 homemade gun barrel.

Major Nguyen Trung Kien - Head of Na Ngoi Border Guard Station said: "Most people are not aware or have a very vague awareness of the dangers of weapons, explosives and supporting tools, so they often hide them for use. Therefore, the unit and the locality together conduct propaganda content, in which they point out the harmful effects of storing weapons and explosives, the provisions of the law on storing weapons and explosives, and at the same time mobilize people to hand over their existing weapons and explosives."

In the border commune of Tam Hop (Tuong Duong), in 2023, the commune police force also actively coordinated with Tam Hop Border Guard Station to recover 38 homemade guns in Phong and Xop Nam villages. Thereby, contributing to ensuring security and order, minimizing accidents and injuries caused by weapons and explosives.

Mr. Lo Thanh Nhat - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district, said: "Determining the importance of the work of collecting weapons, explosives, and supporting tools, every year, the People's Committee of the district has issued many plans, directed branches and localities, the core of which is the police force, to actively propagate, mobilize, collect, and change people's habits. By the end of October 2023, in the communes and towns, the police force had also collected 297 homemade guns and 5 electric shockers."

However, due to the limited legal awareness of the people, living in mountainous areas with hunting habits, the storage and use of weapons and explosives still occurs. Recently, at about 1:30 a.m. on May 8, Task Force 373 of Ky Son District Police was on duty on National Highway 16 through Pha Danh Commune when they discovered Lo Van Ba ​​(born in 1993), residing in Pieng Pho Village, Pha Danh Commune, illegally storing 1 hunting gun and 172 bullets.

Previously, at around 11:30 p.m. on May 7, also in the above area, Task Force 373 of Ky Son District Police discovered Kha Van Tam (born in 1989), residing in Son Thanh village, Ta Ca commune, illegally possessing a hunting gun and 140 bullets. At the police station, the two above cases confessed to having bought the above guns online to hunt birds.

It is because people have not yet realized the danger of storing weapons that many heartbreaking incidents have occurred. For example, on August 21, 2022, when Luong Van Toi (born in 1962), residing in Lo village, Xa Luong commune (Tuong Duong), due to family conflicts, used a homemade gun in the house to shoot his wife, Kha Thi H (born in 1962). Although she was taken to the emergency room by her family, Ms. H died later.

Previously, at noon on January 22, 2022, TLTA (4 years old, residing in Son Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district) was taken by relatives to his uncle's house in Lien Thanh commune (Yen Thanh) to play. Here, the uncle took out an air gun to check, unfortunately the gun accidentally went off, causing the bullet to pierce the chest of baby A who was playing about 20 meters away. The baby was taken to the hospital for emergency treatment immediately after that, but did not survive.

Attaching responsibility to sectors and localities

According to the leader of the Department of Administrative Management of Social Order, Nghe An Provincial Police: Although the number of weapons and explosives handed over by the people and seized by the authorities in the past time is very large.

During the 5 years of implementing the Law on Management and Use of Weapons, Explosives and Supporting Tools, as of December 31, 2023, the whole province has mobilized to collect 12,328 guns; 5,933 bullets; 536 grenades, bombs, mines, warheads of all kinds; 136.75 kg of explosives; 990 detonators; 321.9m of slow-burning wire; 108.02 kg of explosive precursors...

Detected and arrested 581 cases, 844 subjects committing crimes, violating the law related to weapons, explosives, and supporting tools. Confiscated 403 guns; 40,570 bullets; 12 bombs and mines; 144.15 kg of explosives; 7,062 detonators; 1,340 m of slow-burning wire; 14 kg of explosive precursors; nearly 1,003 supporting tools of all kinds; 703 primitive weapons; 152 details and detail clusters for assembling weapons...

However, to completely prevent the act of storing, buying, selling and using homemade guns, and to remove Nghe An from the list of key areas among 18 localities nationwide, there are still many difficulties because Nghe An has up to 61 border and coastal communes and wards; of which 22 land border communes are in particularly difficult areas, and people's awareness is still limited. Along with that, due to customs and habits, some people in mountainous, remote and isolated areas still secretly store and use this type of weapon to hunt birds and animals and consider it as a self-defense item when going to the forest...

The leader of the Department of Administrative Management of Social Order - Nghe An Police said that in order to effectively carry out the work of collecting weapons, explosives, and supporting tools, along with the role of functional forces, local authorities need to actively propagate and promote the role of village elders, village chiefs, and prestigious people in mobilizing people not to participate in transporting, buying, selling, and storing illegal weapons, explosives, and supporting tools. At the same time, coordinate to establish points to receive weapons, explosives, and supporting tools that people hand over, as well as encourage people to detect and denounce related violations...

Regarding this issue, on April 25, 2024, the Provincial People's Committee issued Official Dispatch No. 3313/UBND-NC on improving the effectiveness of management and use of weapons, explosives, and supporting tools in the area. In particular, the Provincial Police were assigned to strictly handle violations related to weapons, explosives, and supporting tools, and at the same time overcome loopholes and shortcomings to prevent criminals from taking advantage of them to commit crimes; Direct and guide local police to strictly follow the procedures and provisions of the law on proposing liquidation and destruction of weapons, explosives, and supporting tools handed over by people or confiscated; Mobilize forces, synchronously deploy professional measures, proactively fight against crimes and violations of the law related to weapons, explosives, and supporting tools, etc.

The Provincial People's Committee also requested the Provincial Military Command, the Provincial Border Guard Command, and the Provincial Customs Department to closely coordinate with the Provincial Police to strengthen inspection and control of key routes and areas to promptly detect and combat violations of the law on weapons, explosives, support tools and fireworks, especially the acts of buying, selling, and transporting weapons, explosives, and weapon components across the border and sea routes... At the same time, direct military units and border guard stations to seriously implement propaganda and mobilize people to hand over illegally stored weapons, explosives, support tools and fireworks.

Official Dispatch No. 3313/UBND-NC also clearly states: Directors of departments, heads of provincial-level departments and branches, Chairmen of People's Committees of districts, cities and towns must regularly direct, inspect, guide and urge the implementation according to the assignment and decentralization; be responsible to the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee for the situation and implementation results of the agencies, units and localities under their charge, especially, not to let violations of weapons, explosives and supporting tools occur in the area and field of management.