Numerous senior officers of the Vietnam Coast Guard (CSB) are going to be tried for their involvement in petroleum smuggling. Among these are two former Regional Commanders, Mr. Le Van Minh – former Commander of CSB 4 Region, and Mr. Le Xuan Thanh – former Commander of CSB 3 Region.
In addition, Mr. Luu Duc The – Major, former Deputy Head of Reconnaissance Division 2, Coast Guard Command; Colonel Nguyen The Anh – former Commander of the Border Guard of Kien Giang Province; Colonel Pham Van Tren – former commander of the Border Guard of Tra Vinh province, etc.
These people have been charged with taking bribery. Separately, two people, including Colonel Nguyen The Anh, were also charged with organizing other people to illegally flee abroad; and Colonel Phung Danh Thoai, former head of Petroleum Department, Logistics Department, and Coast Guard Command were charged with smuggling.
From March 2020 to February 2021, Phan Thanh Huu, director of Phan Le Hoang Anh Trading Co., Ltd, and his accomplices smuggled about 200 million liters of gasoline, worth about VND2.9 trillion ($127 million).
In this mission, Colonel Phung Danh Thoai participated in capital contribution, and profit-sharing, and benefited more than VND22 billion.
Former Commander Le Van Minh was accused of taking advantage of his position and power for self-seeking motives, directly receiving and through his wife and children, receiving a total amount of VND6.9 billion from Mr. Phan Thanh Huu.
The total amount of money collected in the process of arresting, searching, and remediating defendants was announced to be more than VND34 billion. In particular, two former commanders of Coast Guard Region 3 and Coast Guard Region 4 have paid all of the alleged damage.
Recently, the Procuracy of Dong Nai province issued an indictment against Mr. Phan Thanh Huu and 72 accomplices for smuggling. Mr. Ngo Van Thuy – former captain of Team 3, Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department, General Department of Customs, was prosecuted for taking bribes.
In September 2019, Mr. Phan Thanh Huu and Mr. Dao Ngoc Vien – director of Hai Phong Ocean Co., Ltd., conspired to conduct petroleum smuggling activities from Singapore to Vietnam. These two people, Colonel Phung Danh Thoai and some other people contributed capital to this activity with a total amount of VND53.4 billion.
Because the smuggled gasoline is white, the Vietnamese market consumes light yellow gasoline, so the group was advised to mix the yellow powder into the solution.
According to the expected plan, the Military Court of Military Zone 7 on July 12 will open a first-instance court hearing on the case of smuggling, accepting bribes, and organizing others to flee abroad illegally…
The trial will take place at the Capital Military Court. The presiding judge of the trial is Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Hong Phong. There are 16 lawyers registered to defend the defendants.
At the end of September 2021, the Central Inspection Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam decided to discipline and warn Lieutenant General Nguyen Quang Dam, former Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, and former Commander of the Vietnam Coast Guard. Colonel Nguyen Van Hung, Deputy Commander of the CSB was removed from all positions in the Party. Major General Ngo Binh Minh, Commander of CSB Region 1 was reprimanded.
Colonel Phung Danh Thoai, Head of Petroleum Department, Logistics Department, and Major Luu The Duc, Deputy Head of the 2nd Reconnaissance Division were expelled from the Party. The party’s Central Commission on Inspection also suggested that the Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam consider disciplinary action against the Standing Board of the Party Committee of the CBS for the 2015-2020 term and some leaders of the Commanders of Regions 2, 3, and 4 of the Vietnam Coast Guard.
Thoibao.de (Translated)
