Detecting subjects buying and selling military weapons on cyberspace

On the afternoon of February 27, a representative of Quang Ngai Provincial Police confirmed that the unit had just discovered a subject illegally buying and selling military weapons.on cyberspacein large numbers and is expanding the investigation.

Through professional work, the Department of Cyber ​​Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention and Control, Provincial Police discovered a number of subjects showing signs of buying and selling military weapons, support tools, and dangerous toys on cyberspace.

On that basis, the Department reported to the agency's leadership to establish a special project.

After a period of surveillance, the unit caught Phan Huynh Thien Dat (33 years old), residing in Dam Thuy Bac village, Duc Minh commune, Mo Duc district, illegally transporting weapons (over 1,000 sports bullets).

Immediately afterwards, the unit coordinated with the Investigation Security Department and Mo Duc District Police to conduct an emergency search of the suspect's residence and discovered and temporarily seized 92 guns including military guns, hunting guns, support tools and dangerous toys; more than 14,000 sports bullets and support tools.

According to initial information, Phan Huynh Thien Dat confessed that he had ordered weapons as well as support tools and spare parts from many places in and outside the country.

After receiving the goods, the subject hid the above weapons in a secret warehouse and continuously changed the warehouse location to avoid detection by authorities.

At the same time, the subject used accounts on YouTube and Facebook (closed groups) to post, advertise and buy and sell weapons and support tools. Before being arrested, Phan Huynh Thien Dat had made hundreds of transactions for buyers in all provinces and cities across the country.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Ngoc Thanh, Head of the Department of Cyber ​​Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention, Provincial Police, said that the subjects used very sophisticated methods and tricks to buy and sell weapons on cyberspace, such as: using cross-border social networking platforms to exchange and agree with each other to make transactions, then using unregistered accounts to buy and sell; using junk SIM cards... to contact and agree with each other.

"Realizing that this is a dangerous source of weapons if it falls into the hands of criminal gangs, as soon as the signs were discovered, the unit promptly and synchronously deployed and applied professional and investigative measures. The case is being further investigated by the Investigation Security Department of the Provincial Police," emphasized Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Ngoc Thanh.