Nghe An: Verifying the scuffle when the Forest Ranger force inspected the vehicle transporting goods

On October 21, a video circulated on social media showing a Forest Ranger team stopping a vehicle to inspect its cargo, when a scuffle broke out between people in civilian clothes. The video also shows a person in Forest Ranger uniform yelling at the driver of the vehicle.

Image of a person in civilian clothes scuffling with a vehicle driver whose goods were checked by the working group of the Mobile Forest Ranger and Forest Fire Prevention and Fighting Team No. 2. Photo cut from clip

Speaking to Nghe An Newspaper on the morning of October 22, Mr. Ho Sy Trung - Captain of Mobile Forest Ranger and Forest Fire Prevention and Fighting Team No. 2 said that the people wearing Forest Ranger uniforms in the video were a working group of the Team, assigned to inspect vehicles transporting illegal forest products according to information reported by the people.

After receiving the information, the Team requested this working group to make a report and report onForestry Department“Comrade Tran Duc Tuan is the head of the working group, making a report of the entire incident to report to the Department…” – Mr. Ho Sy Trung said.

A man in civilian clothes got into a scuffle with a vehicle driver who was stopped by a Forest Ranger task force to check his goods. (Photo cut from clip)

Mr. Tran Duc Tuan's report stated that the Mobile Forest Ranger and Forest Fire Prevention Team No. 2 received information from the people that a truck with license plate 29H-82432 concealing illegal forest products would be traveling from Dak Lak province to the North, passing through Nghe An. Mr. Tran Duc Tuan was assigned by the Team leader to direct the working group to inspect the car based on the information.

At 4:30 p.m. on October 20, the working group discovered a car with license plate 29H-82432 traveling from Ha Tinh to the North on the Vinh bypass. When reaching Hung Tay commune, Hung Nguyen district, Nghe An, the working group signaled the car to stop for inspection, but only after the third time did the car stop. Mr. Tuan met the driver directly and asked him to cooperate, however, the driver and the assistant driver did not cooperate and had an inappropriate attitude; they even showed a defiant and opposing attitude, using recording equipment to record the inspection process.

At this time, there were some people standing by to watch. Seeing the driver and the bus assistant using uncultured and insulting words towards the working group, some people were upset; among them, someone could not keep calm and got into a fight with the driver.

Faced with this situation, the task force tried to stop it, but the drivers accused them of calling the bus driver to assault him. However, after analysis, the drivers understood and did not show uncooperative attitude towards the task force...

In response to the question "Did the vehicle transport illegal forest products as reported?", Captain of Mobile Forest Ranger and Forest Fire Prevention and Fighting Team No. 2 - Mr. Ho Sy Trung informed that during the inspection, the working group did not detect illegal forest products on the vehicle.

When asked to explain why the Forest Ranger had some rather "strong" words towards the vehicle driver, Mr. Trung said that such statements were not appropriate and the Team leader would be responsible for reminding the officer to learn from his experience.

Forest rangers had "strong" words with the driver of the vehicle that was stopped for cargo inspection. Photo cut from clip

On the side of the Forest Protection Department, Mr. Bach Quoc Dung - Head of the Department said that he had received a report from the Mobile Forest Protection and Forest Fire Prevention and Fighting Team No. 2. At the same time, he sent representatives of the Department's leadership and a number of related departments to work with Team 2 to verify the incident, in which he requested clarification of 3 contents: Was the task implementation process in accordance with regulations?; Was there or was there not a person used to assault the vehicle driver?; What were the ethics and behavior during the task implementation process?

“Currently, the Forest Protection Department is clarifying the matter. If officers of the Mobile Forest Protection Team and Forest Fire Prevention and Fighting Team No. 2 violate the law, the Department will resolutely handle it according to regulations, without covering up…” – Head of the Forest Protection Department Bach Quoc Dung discussed.

NPV