VietNamNet Bridge – Driving in Vietnam was safer during the first three weeks of 2015 with the number of traffic accidents, injuries and fatalities down significantly from last year, the National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) has reported.

According to a recently released NTSC report, from December 16, 2014 to January 15, 2015 there were 2,171 traffic accidents recorded nationwide, resulting in 781 deaths and 2,050 others injured.

During the three week period, police issued 361,000 traffic citations and seized 2,900 cars and 50,404 motorbikes.

More than 30,600 drivers had their licenses suspended.

Online gambling website discovered

The Criminal Police Department searched several places in HCM City on Friday (Jan 23) suspected to be the nerve centre and offices of the online gambling website 12bet.com.

The police seized seven people, many computers, three automobiles and a great number of documents.

Initial investigations revealed that the leader of the website was To Cong Hung, 33, director of Gay Viet magazine (www.attitude.com).

Users of 12bet.com use their bank accounts to purchase virtual money, which they use to gamble on the website.

Hung, the manager in Viet Nam, sent millions of dollars every month to the international gambling tycoons who operate the website's host computer in the Philippines.

Ha Noi seizes tonnes of contraband goods

The Ha Noi Market Watch Bureau yesterday seized three tonnes of cosmetics and more than four tonnes of milk and food additives from a truck.

Driver Pham Xuan Ly, 53, admitted to the police that he was hired to transport the goods from the northern mountainous province of Lang Son to Ha Noi and sell them. No papers on their origin were enclosed.

The Quang Binh Market Watch also discovered nearly 18 tonnes of dried cuttlefish with unclear origin in Dong Hoi City's Phu Hai District.

Owner Nguyen Thi Le Nhung said that the cuttlefish were bought in various places including the southern province of Kien Giang, but she did not have any certificates related to the goods. She also admitted that 340kg were made from cassava.

Pigs pumped with pond water

The Dong Nai Police on Thursday seized more than 100 pigs following suspicions on safety and hygiene.

The pigs were seized from two trucks in Long Binh Ward, Bien Hoa City when they were being injected with sedatives and water from a nearby pond pumped into their stomachs.

Truck owner Pham Duc Duy admitted that he had conducted the work for about three months, injecting water into about 100 pigs to increase their weight before bringing them to HCM City for sale.

VOV/VNS