Implementing the direction of the Government, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Provincial People's Committee and the Steering Committee 389 of Quang Ninh province, the Department of Industry and Trade has implemented Plan No. 4201/KH-SCT (dated November 5, 2025) on the peak period of combating smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods in the last months of 2025, before, during and after the Binh Ngo Lunar New Year 2026.
The goal of the plan is to resolutely prevent, repeal, and move towards ending smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property rights infringement.
Accordingly, the Department of Industry and Trade has directed the Provincial Market Management Sub-Department (QLTT) to organize a drastic inspection campaign from transportation, storage, consumption to e-commerce activities; focusing on key items such as banned goods, counterfeit goods, smuggled food, of unknown origin, especially N2O gas (laughing gas).
During the peak period, the Market Management force discovered and handled a series of cases related to laughing gas. Specifically, on November 20, 2025, Market Management Team No. 8 coordinated with the Traffic Police Department to inspect cars with license plates 14A-761.12, discovered and seized 204 N2O gas cylinders, with a volume of 404.532kg, and administratively fined 47.5 million VND.
Following that, on November 23, 2025, Market Management Team No. 2 coordinated with functional forces to detect a car transporting 500 N2O gas cylinders, weighing 991kg, and fined 92.5 million VND.
At border routes, the situation of laugh gas transportation is also complicated. From the beginning of November 2025 to now, the Quang Ninh Provincial Border Guard force has arrested over 30 cases, seized over 2,300 laugh gas cylinders.
Faced with complicated developments, the Quang Ninh Provincial Border Guard Command deployed Project QN126. At 2:30 am on January 20, 2026, in the sea area of Dong Ngu commune, the Project Steering Committee presided over and coordinated with Border Guard Flotilla 2 and Cam Pha Port Border Guard Station to organize the case breaking, arresting 3 subjects and 3 motorized watercraft. Exhibits seized included 1,364 laughing gas cylinders.
Also during the peak period, the Traffic Police Department of Quang Ninh Provincial Police discovered and handled nearly 40 cases of illegal transportation of goods, including 9 cases of transporting laugh gas, seizing nearly 1,500 N2O gas cylinders.
According to functional agencies, N2O gas is an hallucinogenic substance, with a risk of addiction, seriously affecting the nervous system, cardiovascular system and respiratory system, especially dangerous for young people.
Although strictly controlled, this type of gas still creeps into entertainment service business establishments.
At the 10th session, the 15th National Assembly, many delegates proposed adding laughing gas N2O to the banned list, and at the same time building criteria for identifying new psychotropic substances to promptly manage and prevent the abuse of commercial shells for illegal trading.
Mr. Le Hong Giang - Deputy Director of Quang Ninh Department of Industry and Trade said that the province is focusing on inspecting and handling laughing gas at three key routes including the border route, the domestic transport route and business establishments and entertainment spots.
In which, at the border line, the Border Guard and Customs forces are implementing very drastic control measures; while at the domestic route and business establishments, the Industry and Trade sector is closely coordinating with the police, traffic police and the cultural sector to strengthen inspection, detection and strict handling of violations.
