Dismantling a ring transporting, trading and storing nearly 6 tons of firecrackers

On October 15, Ho Chi Minh City Police announced that they had recently dismantled a network of transporting, trading, and storing illegal firecrackers operating inter-provincially with the largest quantity in the country since the beginning of the year.

The Investigation Police Agency has initiated a case, prosecuted and temporarily detained 13 defendants to investigate the crimes of trading, storing and transporting prohibited goods as prescribed in Articles 190 and 191 of the 2015 Penal Code, amended and supplemented in 2017.

Previously, through the work of grasping the situation and launching a mass movement to protect national security, Ho Chi Minh City Police discovered that Tang Quoc Tien (born in 1978; residing in Giang Thanh district, Kien Giang province) had colluded with Dang Duy Linh (born in 1992), Danh Tich (born in 1990), both residing in Ha Tien city, Kien Giang province) to transport and trade in banned goods, namely firecrackers, in particularly large quantities from Kien Giang to Ho Chi Minh City for consumption and transit to many other provinces and cities across the country.

The subjects "camouflaged" firecrackers in foam boxes containing dried fish, with the recipient's information written down; then, they directed the driver and assistant to transport them to Ho Chi Minh City, gathering them at a coffee shop (in Binh Hung Hoa A ward, Binh Tan district) owned by Nguyen Dang Thanh (born in 1990, residing in Binh Hung Hoa B ward, Binh Tan district) to hide them and directly deliver them to subjects inside and outside the city through online delivery services.

On August 29, Ho Chi Minh City Police arrested Nguyen Dang Thanh while he was transporting 5 boxes of firecrackers. At the same time, the Working Group of the City Police in Kien Giang Province chaired and coordinated with Kien Giang Provincial Police and the Drug Prevention Department - Border Guard Command to arrest the subjects including: Tang Quoc Tien, Dang Duy Linh, Danh Tich and 4 drivers and assistants.

Expanding the investigation of the case, the City Police continued to coordinate with the Police of Ca Mau province, Long An province, Vinh Phuc province and Hanoi city to arrest 6 subjects related to the act of receiving, buying and selling firecrackers from the group led by Tang Quoc Tien.

In just 10 days, the City Police Department coordinated with the Hanoi City Police Department, Vinh Phuc Province, Kien Giang Province, Long An Province and Ca Mau Province to search 11 locations, investigate and seize nearly 6,000 kg of various types of firecrackers. On October 6, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Procuracy approved the decisions to initiate criminal proceedings, prosecute the accused and issue temporary detention orders for 13 subjects of the Investigation Agency.

According to the Police Agency, with the above-mentioned methods, from around August 2023 until the time of arrest, the criminal group led by Tang Quoc Tien transported and sold nearly 6,000 kg of firecrackers to the market in Ho Chi Minh City and the provinces of Ca Mau, Long An, Vinh Phuc and Hanoi.

The police are investigating and thoroughly prosecuting the related subjects in accordance with the law.