Vigorously crack down on and confiscate weapons, explosives, and supporting tools.

It has many underlying complexities.

Nghe An province has a large area, complex terrain, and many border regions. In recent times, the illegal trade in military weapons and the possession of homemade guns and rudimentary weapons have persisted, especially in mountainous communes. This situation not only poses a potential safety risk but is also a direct cause of many law violations, sometimes resulting in particularly serious consequences.

At the end of 2025, the Criminal Police Department of Nghe An Provincial Police successfully dismantled a major online arms trafficking ring, initially arresting 42 suspects – this was identified as the largest case to date related to the "illegal manufacture, sale, and possession of military weapons" in the area.

Accordingly, through the review and verification process, authorities discovered that several individuals in Nghe An province had contact with and purchased weapons from a professional network operating via social media on a particularly large scale, involving many provinces and cities nationwide. This network was led by Le Thanh Hung (born in 1994, residing in Son Tinh commune, Quang Ngai province) and Sam Thi Thom (born in 1985, residing in Hung Long commune, Ho Chi Minh City).

The two individuals colluded, assigning specific roles from production and component procurement to assembly and distribution. They also created fake accounts using aliases to post and advertise weapons on social media platforms, "promoting their products," and then discreetly contacted buyers for transactions. Furthermore, they directly engaged in buying and selling with customers who contacted them privately.

Through investigation, the police initially determined that from August 2024 to December 2025, the network recruited dozens of individuals, sold hundreds of thousands of bullets and many military weapon components, and illegally profited hundreds of millions of VND.

Notably, when the Ministry of Public Security launched a nationwide crackdown on crime from December 15, 2025 to March 16, 2026, the suspects discussed temporarily suspending their activities to evade detection. In response, from December 15 to 24, 2025, under the direction of the provincial police leadership, the Criminal Police Department spearheaded and coordinated the mobilization of dozens of task forces to simultaneously arrest and conduct urgent searches of 42 suspects across various provinces and cities; seizing 64 military firearms, 28,720 rounds of ammunition classified as military weapons, 24 firearms used as support tools, 1,260 rounds of BB and rubber bullets, and other related evidence.

Based on the collected evidence, the Provincial Police Investigation Agency has initiated a criminal case and indicted 38 defendants on charges related to the illegal manufacture, storage, transportation, use, and sale of military weapons. The investigation is being expanded to clarify the entire network.

For example, recently, on March 7, 2026, in Hoi 1 village, Quy Chau commune police arrested Luong Van Nhat (born in 1990), residing in Hoi 1 village, for illegally possessing military weapons. The seized item was a compressed air gun firing lead pellets. During the arrest, the suspect attempted to jump into the river to escape. However, Quy Chau commune police promptly apprehended him and processed the case according to the law.

It is evident that military weapons and homemade guns are becoming increasingly dangerous and difficult to control; when smuggled into society, they pose a serious threat to public safety, security, and people's lives. Furthermore, the illegal storage of explosives and explosives can easily lead to fires and explosions with unpredictable consequences. Even more worrying, tools such as electric batons and pepper spray, if misused, can also become instruments of crime.

Intensify efforts to recover the debt.

Faced with the potential risks of law violations related to weapons, explosives, and supporting tools, the Nghe An Provincial Police have recently coordinated closely with local authorities to implement a comprehensive range of solutions to strengthen management and encourage the surrender of these items by the public.

Recently, on March 12, 2026, in Coi village, Luong Minh commune, the Administrative Management and Social Order Police Department of Nghe An Provincial Police, in coordination with Luong Minh Commune Police, organized a campaign to encourage people to surrender weapons, explosives, and supporting tools. Following the campaign, people voluntarily surrendered 45 firearms, including 44 homemade guns and one homemade sports rifle, along with some other rudimentary weapons.

Previously, on January 18, 2026, the Administrative Management Department for Social Order, in coordination with the Quỳnh Phú Commune Police, successfully recovered 18 firearms, including 16 PCP air-compressed air rifles, which are considered highly lethal weapons.

In Bich Hao commune, to raise public awareness of regulations on the management and use of weapons, explosives, and supporting tools, the commune police have developed a "skillful public relations" model in propaganda and mobilization for weapon surrender. Through various methods such as village meetings, loudspeakers, leaflet distribution, and direct outreach to individual households, the police force has encouraged people to voluntarily surrender weapons. As a result, in the past period, people have surrendered 3 air rifles and many other types of weapons.

In Na Loi commune, to effectively recover weapons, the commune police focused on promoting awareness and persuasion with the motto "going to every alley, knocking on every door, checking every individual," aiming to clearly analyze the risks to security and order, the dangers to life and health, and the legal consequences of possessing and using illegal weapons so that people understand. As a result, in March 2026, the Na Loi commune police received 10 homemade guns voluntarily surrendered by residents.

Despite achieving many positive results, the work of recovering and handling violations related to weapons, explosives, and supporting tools still faces many difficulties. According to Captain Nguyen Van Hung, Head of the Luong Minh Commune Police, in some remote areas, people's awareness of the law is still limited, leading to the continued storage of weapons and explosives. In addition, some individuals still deliberately violate the law and use them illegally for personal purposes, requiring law enforcement to increase patrols and controls.

In the coming period, to improve the effectiveness of recovering homemade weapons, firearms, and supporting tools, many opinions suggest that a comprehensive set of solutions should be implemented, focusing on strengthening legal awareness campaigns tailored to each locality, leveraging the role of mass organizations and influential individuals in the community. Simultaneously, increased patrols and inspections are needed to promptly detect and strictly handle violations.

Furthermore, it is necessary to strengthen inter-agency coordination and enhance the capacity of local police forces, especially in public relations work; and continue to promote the nationwide movement to protect national security. Only then will the management and recovery of weapons and explosives achieve high results, contributing to maintaining security and order and ensuring a peaceful life for the people.