The Coast Guard Region 4 Command seizes a ship illegally transporting about 100,000 liters of DO oil in the southwest waters on March 12.

According to the Department of Legal Operations under the High Command of Coast Guard, during the campaign, which took place before, during and after the lunar New Year, the Coast Guard strictly patrolled key marine areas and routes.

During this time, they detected 348 cases in which foreign fishing vessels violated Vietnamese waters. These vessels were asked to leave Vietnam’s waters.

The Coast Guard arrested and handled 253 cases with 327 suspects who violated the law at sea and in the coastal areas. As many as 47 cases were prosecuted, involving 50 suspects, while administrative penalties were imposed on 164 cases, involving 215 people. The Coast Guard also transferred 42 cases with 62 suspects to related agencies for handling.

Notably, drug-related cases were complicated and tended to increase. Drug traders took advantage of modern information and communication technology and used goods transportation services to illegally transport and trade narcotics. They also took advantage of the sea route to transport drugs from other countries to Vietnam and from Vietnam to a third country. During the campaign, the Coast Guard force detected 86 drug-related cases, with 107 suspects.

Lt. Gen. Nguyen Van Son, Commander of the Vietnam Coast Guard, said that the situation of crime and law violation at sea continues to be complicated; smugglers and trade fraud criminals collude with each other and use sophisticated tricks to bribe law enforcement officers.

Son noted that the Coast Guard force needs to strengthen the gathering of information, grasp the situation to fight against crime, law violation, and illegal encroachment of foreign fishing vessels into Vietnam’s waters.

The force will also improve the effectiveness of patrols, inspections, control, and handling of violations of the law, and the fight against smuggling and trade fraud at sea, especially in key seas, he said.

Tran Thuong

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