Quang Ninh is a gateway province located in the Northeast of Vietnam, boasting a long border, a system of border gates, seaports, bustling economic zones, and busy tourist activities.

In recent years, stability has been seen in the province's border areas; friendly cooperative relations with neighbouring countries have been maintained and strengthened. However, the province still see sophisticated operations of hostile forces and various types of criminals, potentially causing political insecurity, social disorder and unsafety. Meanwhile, the Provincial Border Guard force is small and has just been restructured according to higher-level decisions, etc. Against this backdrop, in order to fulfill its assigned responsibilities, along with the decisive and coordinated implementation of professional measures, the Provincial Border Guard Command has strengthened coordination with functional forces, proactively advised Party committees and authorities at all levels, mobilised all of its forces and resources, resolutely fought against crime of all types, contributing to ensuring political security and social order, maintaining peace in the border area, and creating conditions to promote socio-economic development.

Border work review conference of first half of 2025 of Quang Ninh Provincial Border Guard

Promoting the core and specialised role in advising, commanding, and directing the fight against crime

Thoroughly implementing the resolutions and directives of the Border Guard Command's Steering Committee 1389, the Provincial People's Committee, and the Provincial Steering Committee 389 on force building and crime prevention and control, focusing on Resolution No. 669-NQ/ĐU, dated 4 September 2018, of the Border Guard Party Committee on leading the improvement of the quality and effectiveness of the fight against drug trafficking and crime; building a strong and comprehensive specialised force for drug and crime prevention and control in the new situation,... The Party Committee and Command of the Provincial Border Guard have focused on leading and directing Party committees and commanders at all levels to conduct research and assessment of the crime situation on each direction and in each area, clearly identifying key issues, hotspots, and trends of operation of various types of crime to advise the Provincial leadership. At the same time, they have built specialised resolutions and work plans and assigned specific tasks to each agency, unit, and station to implement. Emphasis is placed on enhancing the responsibility of leaders, promoting the advisory role of professional agencies to ensure that all policies and directives closely follow the practice.

Sharp professional skills, proactive investigation, and resolute suppression of crime

In recent years, thanks to the drastic actions of local authorities, including the Border Guard, the criminal situation, particularly drug trafficking along the province's border, has decreased. However, the operations of cybercrime, fraudulence, trafficking of prohibited goods across the border, such as contaminated food, nitrous oxide (N2O), firecrackers, etc., remains complex. Facing this situation, to enhance the effectiveness of crime prevention and control, along with thoroughly implementing the directives issued by higher authorities on drug and crime prevention and control, especially Instruction No. 1368/HD-BĐBP, dated 26 March 2024, of the Border Guard Command on guiding the implementation of Articles 6 and 8 of the Regulations on operational measures in the border guard work, issued together with Decision No. 1677/QĐ-BQP dated 27 April 27 2023, of the Ministry of National Defence, the Party Committee of the Provincial Border Guard has strengthened leadership and direction in developing in-depth training plans for each target group and specialised force which are closely aligned with the features of the province's border, sea, and island areas, focusing on reconnaissance, criminal investigation, law, border control, and skills in using existing equipment and technical resources. At the same time, officers responsible for crime prevention and control are required to regularly study and research legal documents, professional regulations, and new methods and tactics of criminals. In addition, experts and experienced officers from other functional forces are invited to exchange and conduct specialised training, contributing to improving the professional skills and expertise of the officers directly involved in the task.

Arresting illegal transporting of firecracker

What’s more, the Provincial Border Guard has strengthened border and gate patrols and controls, promoted basic professional work, built and developed a network of secret informants and the watch of the People; improved the quality of reconnaissance and investigation to thoroughly grasp the area, targets, and activities of criminal networks and groups. They have also accelerated the application of information technology, data analysis, and information exploitation from multiple sources to form an “overall picture” of criminal activity. Besides, the “crime database system by area”, “key target tracking register”, and various specialised reconnaissance models have been deployed for developing operational plans and special cases, launching intensive campaigns to attack and suppress crime in border areas, and resolutely fight against and strictly handle violations.

Disseminating the law and harnessing the strength of the entire population in the fight against crime

It has been proved that criminals often make the most of the terrain to operate and try to entice people to assist or conceal their illegal activities. Therefore, to harness the strength of the entire population in the fight against crime, propaganda and mobilisation efforts must be taken one step ahead. Bearing this in mind, in recent times, along with traditional forms of propaganda such as village meetings, community activities, local radio broadcasts, billboards, and leaflets at fishing ports, border markets, and boat docking areas, the Provincial Border Guard has proactively developed a special propaganda plan, working with localities to conduct defence and security education, and disseminating legal regulations on national borders, immigration, the prevention of drug and prohibited goods, illegal fishing, and information about the methods of operation of various types of criminals to village chiefs, clan leaders, religious dignitaries, influential people, boat owners, etc., Thereby, the People are actively involved in the movements of “All People participating in protecting the border security”, “People participating in preventing, detecting, and reporting crimes”. At the same time, the Provincial Border Guard actively implements and maintains effective models, such as: “Border and boundary marker self-management team”, “Village and hamlet security team” "Safe and united fleet” and “Self-managed wharf teams”, aiming to bring into full play the role of the People in monitoring the area, gathering information, and reporting crimes.

In addition to propaganda, the Provincial Border Guard has actively coordinated with local Party committees and authorities in border areas to build strong political bases; deployed livelihood support programmes, helping the People develop the economy, stabilise their lives, contributing to building increasingly solid national border defence associated with the people's security posture, and a “people's hearts and mind” posture, mobilising a large number of people to participate in protecting the border and boundary markers, maintaining political security, social order and safety, and resolutely not assisting criminals.

Investigating the suspect

Close cooperation, synchronised coordination, and building a widespread defence posture in crime prevention and control

Along with promoting the strength of the entire population, to enhance the efficacy and effectiveness of crime prevention and control, the Provincial Border Guard has actively coordinated with the Vietnam Customs, the Vietnam Coast Guard, the Public Security, and border guards of China,... to build and implement coordination regulations effectively. In particular, emphasis has been placed on measures to improve the quality of information exchange, data sharing, inter-sectorial patrols and controls, and close coordination between specialised forces and local forces to early detect criminal networks, especially those involved in drug trafficking, smuggling, commercial fraud, and illegal immigration, preventing the formation of “hot spots” of crime.

By means of drastic and coordinated measures, the Provincial Border Guard has yielded positive results in the crime prevention and control. In 2025 alone, they apprehended and processed 297 cases with 358 individuals and 258 vehicles; seized 47.25 grams of narcotics, 4 kg of gold, 6 kg of silver, 50,000 Chinese Yuan, 10 kg of explosives, nearly 1,500 kg of fireworks, 16,483 kg of N2O gas, nearly 8,000 packs of cigarettes, 56,760 poultry chicks, 40,381 kg of food of unknown origin, 4,873 kg of seafood, and other goods, making a practical contribution to maintaining political security and social order in the Province.

Building on the achievements and experiences gained, in the coming period, Quang Ninh Provincial Border Guard will continue to improve the quality of its advisory and coordination work, proactively implement professional measures, and leverage its combined strength in crime prevention and control, maintaining political security and social order in the border area, creating a stable environment for the province's rapid and sustainable development.

Senior Colonel NGUYEN QUANG HOA, Deputy Commander of the Provincial Military Command and Commander of the Provincial Border Guard