As the core force in charge of security, order, and safety management and law enforcement in the sea of its responsibility, Coast Guard Region 2’s Command has always enhanced the work of preventing and combating crimes and violations via many synchronous, drastic, effective measures.

The large sea from Quang Tri province to Binh Dinh province (including Hoang Sa Archipelago and the Northern part of Truong Sa Archipelago) acts as one of the most important marine economic gateways of Central Vietnam to the region and the world. This area has witnessed complex developments posing threats to security and order, particularly in drug trafficking and transport, drug drifting at sea, and small-scale drug use, trafficking, and possession within docking sites, coastal communes, and islands via a lot of cunning, closed artifices. Moreover, smuggling, trade frauds, and illegal small-scale cargo transport deep inside the port water area tend to be on the increase. Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU) by vessels has been reduced; however, such a reduction has yet to be stable.

Conducting patrols to control oil tankers at sea

As the core force in charge of law enforcement in this key sea, over the years, Coast Guard Region 2’s Command has effectively collaborated with local party committees and authorities as well as other competent forces in the fight against crimes and violations of law in the sea of its responsibility, thereby obtaining many significant results. Since June 2023, the Region has organised 4 campaigns to distribute leaflets on drug prevention and control to 370 people together with 2 campaigns to disseminate IUU-related regulations among 420 crew members from 52 fishing vessels. It has actively conducted patrols at sea; during those patrols, it has detected and punished 4 vessels for their administrative violations, with a total fine of more than 6,250,000 VND. It has directed its units to inspect and arrest 2 vessels for their illegal sand mining in the sea of Ly Son (Quang Ngai province), punish those administrative violations with a fine of 129,000,000 VND, confiscate 43.57 cubic metres of salty sand and 4 sand mining machines, and crack 1 case of illegal cargo transport, with 35,200 litres of substandard oil being confiscated and over 525,000,000 VND being paid to State budget. Notably, in the first half of 2024, the Region collaborated with other competent forces in cracking 16 cases of drug trafficking, possession, and transport, arresting 28 persons, confiscating 14,444 synthetic drug pills, 1,370 grams of Ketamine, more than 3,060 kilograms of Methamphetamine, over 60 kilograms of Cannabinoids, 16 litres of cannabis oil, 1,245 grams of heroin, and 1 Rulo pistol with 10 bullets. As a result, drug crimes and other types of crime in the waters under the Region’s management have been basically under control.

However, due to a long coastline, large sea, and limited quantity and quality of personnel and equipment, the Region has always been confronted with challenges and difficulties in the fight against crimes and violations of law at sea. To successfully fulfil this important task, the Region’s Party Committee and Command have exercised close, uniform, effective leadership and direction at all levels and in each step. During the fight against crimes and violations of law at sea, the Region’s Party Committee and Command have always grasped situational developments to renew the leadership method of all-level party committees and party organisations relevant to units’ specialised operations in a focalised, uniform, routine, comprehensive, flexible, and creative manner. Grounded on the characteristics of the tasks, the Region’s Party Committee has concentrated its efforts on peak periods of preventing and combating crimes and violations of law at sea, particularly on national holidays and in sensitive times to develop specialised resolutions for the sake of close, effective leadership and direction. Party committees and commands at all levels, particularly in Department of Crime and Violation Prevention and Control, Department of Legal Affairs, Squadron 21, and 2^nd Coast Guard Station have grasped and seriously implemented higher echelons’ directives, resolutions, and plans, issued their own specialised resolutions, and developed specific measures and action plans in a close, effective way. Importance has been attached to carrying out education work to raise all-level party committee members and commanders’ awareness, encouraging the example-setting responsibility of cadres and party members, and building up willpower and determination in the fight against crimes and violations of law at sea. Emphasis has been placed on making all necessary preparations for implementing Plan 2311/KH-BTL dated 27 May 2024 by the Region’s Command on launching a peak fight against drug crimes, other types of crime, and violations of law at sea. In the process, the Region has required its units to comply with regulations on report and well conduct preliminary and final reviews to draw lessons, opportunely adjust and supplement the content and measures of leadership and direction, and raise the quality and effectiveness of preventing and combating crimes and violations of law in each period.

Cooperating with other competent forces in seizing smuggled wild animal parts

The Region’s Party Committee and Command have directed the specialised force to synchronously adopt measures for grasping the situation, particularly in the key waters and areas and closely managing operational methods of violators. The Region has proactively conducted assessments and forecasts as the basis for developing plans to opportunely detect and deal with violations and crimes under legal procedures and regulations. The Region has strictly maintained workforce and means for combat readiness at all levels, while synchronously taking specialised measures, with reconnaissance acting as the spearhead and basic investigation serving as a breakthrough. Besides, a steady breakthrough in basic expertise has been implemented to raise the quality and effectiveness of the fight against crimes and violations of law. The Region has stepped up the work of specialised and administrative punishment profiling in a regular, professional, scientific fashion. It has enhanced patrols to closely control the sea of responsibility and combined public patrols with secret reconnaissance at sea. The Region’s Command has required its offices and units to “respect the law”, avoid improprieties and complaints, and ensure absolute safety in the performance of their tasks. The Region has frequently well carried out education work to raise its staff’s law-abiding awareness, competence, skills, and professionalism in the fight against crimes and violations; it has always remained proactive, creative, acumen, and flexible in dealing with situations to avoid falling into passivity. The Region has grasped and seriously implemented Directive 222-CT/ĐU dated 15 June 2021 on enhancing the work of internal political protection in the new situation in tandem with the Movement titled “four-good, four-no, four-against”. It has also closely combined the fight against crimes and violations with the work of internal political protection to resolutely prevent its staff members, particularly the force in charge of combating crimes and violations of law at sea from being enticed.

Grounded on the signed coordination regulations, the Region has maintained its cooperation with local party committees and authorities as well as other competent forces (Public Security, Customs, and Border Guard) to create synergy for the fight against crimes and violations of law at sea. Offices and units of the Region have worked with localities to synchronously adopt measures for crime prevention, improve the management of the areas of responsibility, and closely monitor means, organisations, and individuals with the signs of violation of law. Currently, operational methods used by criminals have been increasingly cunning. Smugglers and fraudsters have regularly taken advantage of import activities to smuggle contraband or dishonestly declare goods to be consumed domestically via seaports. Meanwhile, drug-related crimes tend to shift towards sea border areas and the sea with new, reckless tricks; drug criminals have employed modern technological equipment for trading and frequently changed their operational methods to avoid being detected by competent forces. Hence, offices and units of the Region have proactively collected and exchanged information about crimes as well as conducted screening to investigate persons with the signs of violation of law and opportunely adopt measures for prevention and combat under law. Due attention has been paid to bringing into play the hot line between forces to opportunely exchange information and maintain coordination for arresting criminals and handling violations, especially from complex cases. At the same time, the Region has stepped up international cooperation in the fight against transnational crimes, thereby opportunely detecting rings and gangs that had provided support for fishing vessels and fishermen to illegally work in foreign seas.

Furthermore, the Region has paid special regard to carrying out the work of law propagation and encouraging the people to actively take part in the fight against crimes and violations of law at sea. It has proactively cooperated with local party committees, authorities, and sectors in developing action plans for those pieces of work, while closely combining propagation work with law enforcement at sea. It has promoted the role of working teams and groups at grass-roots level in coming to every household and vessel to encourage the people to actively take part in combating and reporting crimes and violations of law to competent agencies. Fishermen have been asked to write commitments not to violating law or supporting or concealing crimes and violations of law at sea. Moreover, the Region has fostered cooperation with press agencies in disseminating the Party’s lines, the State’s law, and local regulations and opportunely providing information and warnings to the people. The Region’s propagation work has contributed to raising law-abiding awareness among cadres and citizens, particularly fishermen. As a result, the masses have given many pieces of valuable information to the Region, becoming reliable “ears and eyes” of the law enforcement forces, significantly contributing to cementing the military-civilian solidarity and building a firm “posture of people’s hearts and minds” at sea.

With their intense concentration and absolute vigilance, cadres and soldiers of Coast Guard Region 2 have always been determined to overcome all difficulties and challenges, remained proactive and drastic in the fight against crimes and violations, thereby making contributions to maintaining security, order, and safety in the sea of their responsibility.

Maj. Gen. TRAN QUANG TUAN

Commander of the Region