Countering crime and violation of law at sea is one of the key missions of the Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG). Hence, Reconnaissance Unit No.1 has been adopting comprehensive and resolute measures to improve the performance of this task, thereby contributing to maintaining security, order, and safety in the country’s seas and islands.
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| Leader of the VCG Command addresses the Unit’s Party Congress for the 2025 - 2030 tenure |
Reconnaissance Unit No.1 is a professional unit of the VCG Command, tasked with giving advice on and conducting reconnaissance operations, grasping situational developments, protecting national security, sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction, and combating crime and violation of law in the maritime and island areas of its responsibility.
In recent years, thoroughly grasping the resolutions, directives, and guiding documents of the Government, the Prime Minister, the Ministry of National Defence (MND), and the VCG Command on preventing and combating crime, violation of law, smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing at sea, the Unit has effectively carried out situational monitoring, research, assessment, and forecasting and promptly given advice to the VCG Command on leading and directing the fight against various types of crime. At the same time, it has closely coordinated with competent forces in inspection and control, opportunely handling violations of law, contributing to preventing illegal and criminal activities, maintaining security, order, and safety in the maritime and island areas of its responsibility, creating a stable and favourable environment for marine economic development. Since 2021, it has maintained coordination in detecting, combating, arresting, and handling 50 cases of violation and crime at sea, seizing various types of evidence; it has also coordinated with competent forces and local authorities of coastal provinces to organise communication and education activities to raise law-abiding awareness among fishermen and citizens in coastal areas.
In the coming time, crime and violation of law at sea are forecast to continue to develop in a more complex manner, with many new, sophisticated, and cunning tactics. In particular, offenders will continue taking advantage of high technology to secure their communications, establish connections, and evade control, thus causing difficulties for the VCG in reconnaissance, detection, and handling. Meanwhile, the maritime area under the Unit’s responsibility is vast; equipment and means for inspection and control at sea are insufficient and lack synchronicity; personnel are dispersed and assigned overlapping tasks; the professional qualifications of staff members are uneven. To improve the quality and effectiveness of the fight against crime and violation of law, the Unit’s Party Committee and Command will focus on implementing the following key tasks and solutions.
First, strengthening the leadership and direction of all-level party committees and commands, promoting communication and education to raise awareness and a sense of responsibility among troops in task performance. The Unit’s Party Committee and Command will direct all-level party committees and commands to continue thoroughly grasping and effectively implementing superior directives and guidance on combating crime and violation of law at sea, especially Directive 13/CT-TTg, dated 17 May 2025, by the Prime Minister on enhancing the fight against smuggling, trade fraud, and counterfeit goods in the new situation, and Official Dispatch 3491/CSB-NV, dated 26 April 2025, by the VCG Command on solutions to improve the effectiveness of combating crime and violation of law at sea. Based on those documents, resolutions and action plans will be developed scientifically and appropriately to the characteristics of the Unit and assigned tasks. Objectives, requirements, content, and timelines of peak phases for combating crime and violation of law at sea will be clearly defined, especially during national holidays and major political events.
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| Cooperating with competent forces in patrolling the sea between Hai Phong and Quang Ninh |
Besides, the Unit will direct its teams and offices to effectively conduct communication and education to raise awareness and a sense of responsibility among officers, employees, and soldiers in their task execution, with a focus on fostering resolve, political will, and confidence in combating crime and violation of law at sea. It will continue to thoroughly grasp and strictly implement Directive 222-CT/ĐU, dated 15 June 2021, by the VCG Party Committee Standing Board on stepping up internal political protection in the new situation, in association with the “Four-Good, Four-No, Four-Combating” movement1 to ensure that cadres, employees, and soldiers do not abet or cover up violators and unlawful acts. Periodic reviews and summaries will be regularly held to draw lessons, promptly adjust measures of leadership and direction, and improve the quality and effectiveness of the fight against crime and violation of law at sea.
Second, implementing reconnaissance measures in a comprehensive fashion to detect and handle cases in accordance with the law. In response to the increasingly complex developments of crime and violation of law at sea, the Unit will adhere to the motto of “taking the law as the foundation and reconnaissance as the spearhead”, while intensifying basic professional measures of reconnaissance. The quality of covert information networks will be enhanced; reconnaissance teams will be deployed along key, sensitive routes and areas, such as seaports, coastal areas, goods collection and transhipment points, and maritime areas, to gather information and documents, gain firm situational awareness of areas and targets, especially criminal rings, groups, and suspicious individuals. Information and documents will be carefully classified and evaluated; suspicious individuals involved in smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods trading, transport and trading of goods of unclear origin, and IUU fishing will be screened to develop operational plans, promptly detect and handle violations and crime in accordance with legal procedures and regulations.
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| Handling a vessel transporting oil of unclear origin |
Upholding “the rule of law”, handling violations and crime in accordance with proper procedures, correctly identifying offenders and offences, not allowing wrongful convictions or complaints, and ensuring absolute safety in all aspects of the fight against crime and violation of law at sea, the Unit will focus on holding training and refresher courses to improve professional qualifications of its officers, employees, and soldiers. Due attention will be paid to updating troops on new legal documents, regulations, and guidance, improving troops’ skills for handling situations to avoid passivity and surprise, enhancing troops’ capability in using technical equipment, means, and supporting tools, and applying information technology and digital transformation in the management, monitoring, and supervision of vessels at sea.
Third, closely coordinating with local party committees, authorities, and competent forces in the assigned areas. This is an important measure that creates overall strength for the fight against crime and violation of law at sea. Hence, the Unit will adhere to regulations and plans on coordination between the VCG and other competent forces, as well as the practical situation to develop and refine plans for information exchange, situational development monitoring, and detection, prevention, and combat of violations and crime in the maritime and island areas under its responsibility. It will work with other forces to exchange and draw lessons in coordination for collecting information about crime and violations of law at sea, in order to bring coordination work into greater depth and substance and ensure close, well-synchronised, and cohesive coordination according to the functions and tasks of each agency and unit. The hotline mechanism will be maintained and promoted to promptly exchange information, coordinate arrests, and handle crime and violations of law at sea, especially complicated cases involving foreign elements, thus avoiding passivity or surprise in all situations.
Fourth, stepping up legal dissemination and education, encouraging the people to actively participate in the fight against crime and violation of law at sea. In order for the people to strictly comply with legal regulations, truly become reliable “ears and eyes”, actively provide information, and closely cooperate with competent forces in combating crime and violation of law at sea, communication and public outreach must be carried out comprehensively, creatively, with diverse and highly effective content. To that end, the Unit will continue effectively conducting communication and public outreach to enable the masses to clearly understand the Party’s viewpoints and lines on defence and security, as well as the State’s policies and laws, especially the Law on the VCG and regulations on combating IUU fishing, thereby raising their sense of responsibility for fighting violations and crime at sea.
In the process, the Unit will continue implementing the Project on “Promoting the role of the People’s Army in legal dissemination and education, and encouraging the people to comply with the law at grass-roots level in the period of 2021 - 2027”, bringing into play the role of grass-roots working teams in encouraging fishing households to sign commitments not to violate the law and not to abet criminal activities. Direct communication and dissemination within communities and fishing grounds will be combined with coordination with press agencies to produce news, articles, and reports, thus strongly renewing content and forms of information, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and vividness and contributing to building firm “people’s hearts and minds posture” and “people’s security posture”, promptly detecting and combating various types of crime and violation of law, and maintaining security, safety, and development in the seas and islands of the Unit’s responsibility.
Col. TRAN HONG QUANG
Commander of the Unit
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1 - Four-Good: good political and ideological qualities, good professional competence, good internal solidarity and military - civilian unity, and good regularity building, democracy, and discipline management. Four-No: no gambling for money, lottery betting, or borrowing beyond repayment ability, no anonymous complaint or petition submitted through improper channels, no violation of traffic safety regulations, misuse of alcohol, or illegal drug use, no smoking in the workplace and public places. Four-combating: combating interference, combating acts of aiding and abetting, combating concealment, and combating indifference.