People who don't choose easy jobs
The image of soldier Ha Van Sang in his green uniform has become very familiar to the people in the resettlement areas of Ngoc Lam and Thanh Son communes (Thanh Chuong district). Not only is he a respected figure among the people, but he is also known as a border guard officer with many achievements in the fight against various types of crime.
(Baonghean)The image of soldier Ha Van Sang in his green uniform has become very familiar to the people in the resettlement areas of Ngoc Lam and Thanh Son communes (Thanh Chuong district). Not only is he a respected figure among the people, but he is also known as a border guard officer with many achievements in the fight against various types of crime.
We met Ha Van Sang when he and his teammates had just completed Project 315L, arresting individuals involved in illegal human trafficking from Mong Cai, Quang Ninh, to China. This was the latest successful case solved by the Ngoc Lam border guard force in May 2013. Lieutenant Sang was the first to discover the group and was also the one who directly went to Quang Ninh with his teammates to apprehend them.
First Lieutenant Ha Van Sang
Born in Mon Son commune, Con Cuong district, Ha Van Sang (born in 1977) graduated from the Border Guard University in 2007 and began working at Ngoc Lam Border Guard Station as a reconnaissance team leader. In 2009, he was assigned the role of anti-drug team leader, and in September 2012, he was appointed Deputy Head of Operations at Ngoc Lam Border Guard Station. Ngoc Lam Border Guard Station manages 35 km of border and three border communes: Ngoc Lam, Thanh Son, and Hanh Lam in Thanh Chuong district. The area is vast, and the lives of the people are still difficult, including two communes inhabited by ethnic minorities resettled due to the Ban Ve Hydropower Plant, where the level of education is low, many outdated customs and traditions persist, and unemployment is high. In addition, the relatively large number of drug addicts returning from their hometown (Tuong Duong) to reside in the area, as well as the number of ex-convicts and individuals involved in drug-related activities, has made the security and order situation in the area complicated.
To understand the activities of criminal elements, he regularly worked closely with the local people, "living, working, and interacting" with them to grasp their customs and traditions. This fostered trust and affection among the people, securing the support of local Party committees, authorities, village elders, and influential figures within the ethnic communities to combat and apprehend criminals in the area. In his various roles, he actively and proactively developed plans, conducted research, assessments, and analyses, classifying the characteristics of each area to effectively serve crime prevention and control efforts, particularly in combating drug-related crimes. Just since 2011, Lieutenant Ha Van Sang has directly planned and successfully apprehended 9 cases/10 individuals involved in drug-related crimes. He also collaborated with the Thanh Chuong District Police and Traffic Police Team No. 3 on the Ho Chi Minh Highway to arrest 5 cases/6 individuals involved in drug-related offenses.
Along with combating drug crimes, Lieutenant Sang consistently focuses on propaganda and persuasion efforts to encourage those who have gone astray to return to honest work. In 2011, using professional methods combined with educational and persuasive work, he directly persuaded three individuals with previous drug convictions who had completed their prison sentences and were residing in the area, showing signs of engaging in retail drug trafficking, to abandon their wrongdoings, return to honest work, and become good citizens, actively participating in assisting the Border Guard in the fight against drug crimes.
On the other hand, he advised the local Party committee, government, and functional forces to send 16 individuals to centralized drug rehabilitation centers (in 2012 and early 2013); and 11 individuals to community-based rehabilitation. He coordinated with local authorities to organize awareness campaigns and promote compliance with the law among the local population, effectively carrying out propaganda work to recover weapons and explosives, resulting in the surrender of 47 homemade muzzle-loading rifles in 2012. He also collaborated with the commune police force to effectively manage the area, maintain political security and social order, and foster solidarity and mutual support in carrying out assigned tasks.
In 2012 and early 2013, Lieutenant Ha Van Sang directly provided training and guidance on professional skills and law to the Ngoc Lam commune police force in three sessions, with 68 security officers participating. In addition, he always maintained close and caring relationships with the people, understanding their thoughts and aspirations, and researching effective economic practices to promote and encourage them to follow suit, contributing to poverty reduction and improved living standards.
With those achievements, in 2011-2012, Lieutenant Ha Van Sang was honored to receive a commendation from the Border Guard Command for his participation in the "Determined to Win" emulation movement and a commendation from the Provincial People's Committee for his contributions over 10 years in implementing Directive 07 of the Provincial Party Committee on strengthening the fight against drug trafficking. The border guard, who has been a grassroots-level emulation soldier for five consecutive years, confided: "As a soldier of Uncle Ho, I always learn from him in his style of being close to the people and putting the people first. Working in the specialized field of combating crime, including drug trafficking, sometimes endangers my life, but it is the job I have chosen, so no matter how difficult it is, I try my best to complete my nhiệm vụ and contribute to maintaining peace for the people."
Text and photos: Le Thanh
