Continuous discovery
From mid-2019 to present, the authorities in the border area of Long An province have established a special project to crack down on 21 cases of smuggling animals across the border; the total number of animals confiscated and processed is nearly 700. Of which, in the first 10 months of 2024 alone, the authorities caught 5 cases of smuggling animals (50 buffaloes, cows and 306 goats).
In March 2024, Song Trang Border Guard Station (Tan Hung District) seized and destroyed 4 smuggled cows. Then, on June 13, 2024, Ben Pho Border Guard Station (Vinh Hung District) seized and destroyed 29 smuggled buffaloes. On June 28, 2024, Moc Hoa District Police discovered and destroyed 306 smuggled goats.
Most recently, at noon on October 12, 2024, Hung Dien Commune Police in coordination with Tan Hung District Police discovered a truck with license plate 62H-037.27 carrying 6 smuggled buffaloes. While making a record of this incident, the patrol force continued to discover a truck with license plate 62C-155.69 carrying 4 smuggled buffaloes and 7 cows.
According to the assessment of the Steering Committee 389 of Long An province, the subjects often take advantage of the dark night, favorable terrain, narrow border rivers or deserted land border areas to smuggle animals. The subjects also collude and hire local residents to transport them across the border, then use cars to bring them inland for consumption. In general, the subjects divide each batch of smuggled livestock into small quantities, and organize strict surveillance during the transportation process to avoid and deal with the authorities.
“Smuggling livestock across the border, no matter how small or scattered, still increases the risk of dangerous diseases for livestock, poultry and humans, causing food safety and hygiene problems, affecting the health of consumers,” said Dinh Thi Phuong Khanh, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Long An Province.
Find a solution to prevent
The Vietnam - Cambodia border through Long An province is nearly 135km long, with flat terrain, separated by land or in some places only by small canals, so the transportation of smuggled animals is not difficult.
Due to the flat terrain, buffaloes and cows are often grazed back and forth on the fields on both sides of the border. People take advantage of this farming method to mix smuggled buffaloes and cows into the herd, making it difficult to distinguish. Meanwhile, livestock management and herd statistics in the area and households still face difficulties, especially small-scale farmers.
According to Colonel Truong Thuy Duong - Deputy Commander of the Long An Provincial Border Guard Command - in the coming time, the border guards will increase patrols and control of trails and openings in the border area to prevent smuggling and crime; in which, focusing on preventing animals from being smuggled right from the border.
Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Quoc Cuong - Head of the Economic Police Department of Long An Provincial Police - informed that in the coming time, the unit will continue to closely coordinate with local police and all levels and sectors to prevent and combat livestock smuggling. In particular, the police will establish a special project, fight and strictly handle cases of smuggling buffalo, cows and pigs to legalize them into the country to deter and warn.
“The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will coordinate with localities to count the number of livestock and poultry in border districts. From there, share information with functional forces to have solutions to inspect, control, and trace the origin if there are signs of violations. Direct specialized agencies to organize quarantine and control the source of imported and exported livestock and poultry in border districts; strictly implement the destruction of smuggled shipments according to regulations to prevent the risk of disease spread and food safety loss,” Ms. Dinh Thi Phuong Khanh emphasized.
