Strengthening crime prevention and control, protecting border security.
The period before, during, and after the Lunar New Year is a time when the crime situation in border areas becomes complex. Therefore, border guards along the border have intensified coordinated patrols and controls, closely monitoring the area; promptly detecting and combating criminal elements.
Intensify patrols and inspections.
At the Nam Can International Border Gate area (Ky Son district), the volume of people and vehicles entering and exiting the country, as well as the volume of goods being imported and exported, increases significantly during the period leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year). Furthermore, the unique mountainous terrain, with numerous trails and openings, and the Nam Mo River running along the border, provides favorable conditions for illegal immigration activities.
In response to this situation, the Nam Can International Border Gate Border Guard Station proactively coordinated with relevant forces to strengthen border control and protection, and to prevent and combat crime during the peak period before, during, and after the Lunar New Year. As a result, they promptly detected and handled many violations.
Typically, at Tien Tieu village, the Nam Can International Border Gate Border Guard Station detected three foreign nationals suspected of being involved in illegal entry and exit. Following investigation and coordination with relevant agencies, on December 3, 2024, the Nam Can International Border Gate Border Guard Station initiated criminal proceedings against one individual for organizing illegal entry and exit from Vietnam; simultaneously, they handed over the other three individuals to units under the Provincial Police for handling according to the law.
According to Major Le Anh Cuong, Deputy Head of Operations at the Nam Can International Border Gate Border Guard Station: In 2024, the unit detected 24 cases/38 individuals engaging in illegal entry and exit; and 35 cases/48 individuals entering without presenting passports or travel documents.
Besides illegal immigration, the period leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year) is also when the illegal trade and transportation of firecrackers increases due to high demand and profits. Criminals often use sophisticated methods to evade law enforcement, such as mixing them with other goods, hiding them in luggage, cabins, undercarriages of vehicles, or hiring locals to transport them across the border…
To combat this type of crime, the Nam Can International Border Gate Border Guard Station has opened a management file to closely monitor suspected individuals involved in transnational smuggling rings, exploiting import, export, temporary import for re-export, and transit trade to illegally transport firecrackers across the border; coordinating closely with forces from the Nam Can International Border Gate Customs Sub-department, the Ky Son District Police, and the authorities of Nam Can and Ta Ca communes in Ky Son district to organize patrols, inspections, and checkpoints on routes likely to be used for the illegal transport of goods and firecrackers across the border...
On December 6th, the Nậm Cắn International Border Gate Border Guard Station; the Anti-Drug and Crime Prevention Department (Nghe An Border Guard) coordinated with the Nậm Cắn International Border Gate Customs Branch; and the Ky Son District Police to detect and arrest Nguyen Van Thai (born in 1993), residing in Nghi Tan ward, Vinh city - a passenger on a Lao-registered car traveling from Vinh city to Xieng Khouang (Laos), for the act of "illegally possessing explosive fireworks". More than 30 kg of fireworks were seized.
During questioning, Nguyen Van Thai confessed that the seized items were firecrackers manufactured in Thailand, which he had purchased from a foreign man for 4 million Lao Kip to bring back for personal use.
In other areas, in addition to raising public awareness through propaganda, border guard units have also implemented many comprehensive and decisive measures to prevent violations of the law on fireworks. Although there have been times when foreign nationals have taken advantage of the cover of darkness to transport fireworks from across the border into Vietnam for sale, they have been promptly detected by the authorities.
For example, on the evening of December 3, 2024, the Thong Thu Border Guard Post, Anti-Drug and Crime Prevention Department (Nghe An Border Guard Command) coordinated with the Thong Thu Commune Police, Que Phong District, to apprehend Cong Va (born in 1989), residing in Nam Tay village, Vieng Phan cluster, Sam To district, Hua Phan province (Laos), for transporting explosive fireworks across the border. The seized items included 12 boxes of explosive fireworks weighing approximately 17.9 kg. Cong Va confessed to transporting the fireworks across the border for a fee.
Subsequently, on December 19, 2024, at the Visai International Port gate area, the Cua Lo - Ben Thuy Border Guard Station and other authorities discovered Trinh Ngoc Son, residing in Le Mao ward, Vinh city, in possession of 2 boxes of firecrackers (100 firecrackers/box), weighing 12 kg.
According to assessments by relevant authorities, from now until the Lunar New Year, criminal activities, including the trafficking and transportation of firecrackers across borders (both by land and sea), will continue to be complex.
Tighten border security.
For the Border Guard Force, the period before, during, and after the Lunar New Year is a time to concentrate on strengthening their duties in protecting the security and safety of the border and boundary markers.
That hardship and sacrifice were felt even more acutely when we accompanied the team from Muong Ai Border Guard Post (Ky Son) on a border patrol along the border markers in the biting cold of the last days of the year.
.jpg)
Our destination was marker 415 in Mong Ai Khe village, bordering Vietnam and Laos. Although it was introduced as the nearest marker under the unit's management, from the outpost we had to follow the border patrol route for nearly 20 km, then march down a mountain path for another 3-4 km to reach the national sovereignty marker.
Captain Duong Ngoc Manh Tien, Deputy Political Officer of the Muong Ai Border Guard Station, said: The station is responsible for managing and protecting 51.999 km of border, 9 national border markers; 5 pairs of boundary posts; and managing the area of 2 border communes, Muong Tip and Muong Ai, bordering Muong Moc district and Noong Het district, Xieng Khouang province (Laos).
To ensure security and order before, during, and after the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Snake, the unit developed a plan and coordinated with local militia and police forces to deploy comprehensive patrol teams from border markers 410-418; at the same time, they regularly monitored the border area to inspect people and vehicles to prevent illegal entry and exit and to combat crime.
The soldiers in green uniforms from the Muong Ai Border Guard Post also shared that the difficulties and hardships in patrolling the border markers of their unit are nothing compared to the patrol routes in some other areas such as Mon Son (Con Cuong) or Tam Quang (Tuong Duong). Because each patrol trip along the border and border markers in these areas can sometimes last 8-10 days, with steep, treacherous mountainous terrain, harsh climate, and many lurking dangers.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Ngoc Cam - Deputy Head of Political Affairs (Nghe An Border Guard): In 2024, units under the Nghe An Border Guard organized 95 unilateral patrols, 10 bilateral patrols with border protection forces adjacent to Laos; 481 patrols and inspections of river mouths, estuaries and at sea; and inspections and controls of entry and exit at river mouths and estuaries involving 49,683 vehicles and 241,813 workers.
During the 2025 New Year holiday, many units organized patrols to promptly detect violations of border regulations and protect border security. A prime example is the My Ly Border Guard Post (Ky Son district), which coordinated with Border Guard Company 217 - Hua Phan Provincial Military Command (Laos) to conduct a bilateral patrol from border marker 395 to marker 396 on the Vietnam-Laos border.
In addition to inspecting border markers and boundary demarcation systems, the two sides also exchanged information related to border management and protection, maintaining political stability, social order, and security in the border areas during the Lunar New Year.
To ensure peace and security for the people during the Lunar New Year celebrations, "the Nghe An Border Guard Command has developed a plan and launched a high-intensity campaign to combat crime, smuggling, and commercial fraud before, during, and after the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Snake 2025; implementing comprehensive operational measures to resolutely combat and suppress crime, prevent illegal entry and exit activities, and protect territorial sovereignty...", Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Ngoc Cam stated.
.jpg)