Chinese pesticides are rampant in the border region.

(Baonghean.vn) - Colonel Nguyen Cong Luc, Deputy Commander of the Provincial Border Guard, said that recently there has been a widespread problem of pesticides originating from China flooding border areas.

This was the information shared at a working session between the Legal Affairs Committee of the Provincial People's Council and the Provincial Border Guard Command on the morning of August 30th, concerning the fight against and prevention of violations of the law and crimes infringing upon economic management order.

Mr. Tran Dinh Toan, Deputy Head of the Legal Affairs Committee of the Provincial People's Council, chaired the meeting. Photo: Mai Hoa

According to Colonel Nguyen Cong Luc, Deputy Commander of the Provincial Border Guard, recently in ethnic minority and border areas, there has been a situation where pesticides of Chinese origin are circulating and being used indiscriminately by local people without following any dosage or procedure.

The scope of the fight extends not only within the country's borders but also to the border areas, including neighboring Laos. The violators include not only citizens of Vietnam but also those from Laos and third countries.

Drug traffickers, primarily ethnic minorities with limited awareness, are arrested for carrying and transporting drugs. Therefore, in addition to legal action, the Border Guard focuses on propaganda, persuasion, and education for these offenders, while also applying mitigating circumstances.

Colonel Nguyen Cong Luc - Deputy Commander of the Provincial Border Guard Command - clarified some issues of concern to the Legal Affairs Committee. Photo: Mai Hoa

In the fight against crime and violations of the law from January 2015 to June 30, 2017, the Border Guard Command of Nghe An province detected, arrested, and processed 791 cases involving 1,080 individuals. Of these, 211 cases involving 291 individuals were prosecuted and handed over to the police for further investigation and processing; 447 cases involving 679 individuals were fined administratively, contributing over 2 billion VND to the state budget.

Out of a total of 791 cases detected and arrests made, there were 180 cases involving 236 drug-related crimes; 9 cases involving 14 individuals related to human trafficking, with 20 victims rescued; 10 cases involving 12 individuals involved in the buying, selling, possessing, and using weapons and explosives; and 74 cases involving 72 individuals engaged in illegal logging and transportation of forest products.

In addition, the provincial Border Guard force also detected, arrested, and handled a number of cases of illegal currency trafficking, illegal tobacco trading across the border, illegal fireworks, and illegal oil trading at sea...

Colonel Tran Van Hung - Commander of the Provincial Military Command, member of the Legal Committee of the Provincial People's Council, speaks at the working session. Photo: Mai Hoa

During the meeting, members of the Legal Affairs Committee and the Provincial Border Guard Command clarified a number of difficulties and obstacles encountered in the fight against various types of crimes and violations of the law in border areas.

Ms. Thai Thi An Chung, Deputy Head of the Legal Affairs Committee of the Provincial People's Council, expressed concern about the capacity, qualifications, and training of the Border Guard force in apprehending individuals carrying illegal goods across the border. She noted that Border Guard investigators sometimes fail to clearly distinguish whether the actions of the individuals constitute smuggling or illegal transportation of goods across the border.

The delegates also raised concerns about the conditions for applying preventive measures and detention facilities, given that only 8 out of 22 border posts have such facilities. They also highlighted difficulties arising from the regulation requiring only 20 days to complete case files from the time of arrest, especially in border areas and those involving extra-border regions, and challenges in understanding the feedback from relevant agencies regarding the handling of cases transferred by the Border Guard Command.

In addition, members of the Legal Committee clarified the implementation of regulations on approval by the Procuratorate when arresting criminal suspects; the work of disseminating and educating the public on the law in border areas; and the coordination between the Border Guard and the Police, Procuratorate, Forestry Department, Market Management Department, etc.

In the spirit of the exchange among delegates at the working session, Mr. Tran Dinh Toan - Deputy Head of the Legal Affairs Committee of the Provincial People's Council - suggested that the Provincial Border Guard continue to effectively combat and prevent violations of the law and crimes that infringe upon economic management order in border areas, and strengthen training to improve the professional skills and expertise of officers involved in this work.

Mai Hoa