Along with us on the border patrol route, Lieutenant Colonel Bui Ngoc Thiep, Political Officer of Song Trang Border Guard Station, pointed towards the scorching, blazing border road, occasionally stirred up by gusts of wind that kicked up clouds of dust in the midday sun, and said: "During this season, the water levels in the rivers and canals along the border are low, making it easy for criminals to move across and engage in illegal activities. Therefore, patrol work must be maintained closely and regularly, both day and night."

In particular, during the peak period of April 30th and May 1st this year, the Border Guard Post organized a comprehensive and serious plan for the peak period, maintaining 100% combat readiness during the peak period; closely monitoring the border situation; strengthening border crossing control, conducting more frequent and comprehensive patrols; and before, during, and after the holidays, intensifying the dissemination of legal information to people in the border area.

Officers and soldiers of the Song Trang Border Guard Station patrol and protect national border sovereignty .

The Song Trang Border Guard Post manages a border line nearly 16km long, with 31 border markers (including 2 main markers and 29 auxiliary markers) in Hung Dien commune, Tay Ninh province, bordering three border communes: Cham and Chieng Dek communes (Kompung T'robet district) and Svay Thum commune, Svay Chrum district, Svay Rieng province, Kingdom of Cambodia. The Cai Co River serves as the natural demarcation line for this border.

During the rainy season, the area is flooded, and the intricate network of canals and waterways is difficult to control. In the dry season, numerous side roads and shortcuts are exposed, making it easy for various criminal activities such as smuggling, illegal immigration, and commercial fraud to operate. Years ago, this border area saw some illegal cattle smuggling activities, with some residents taking advantage of the border to bring small numbers of cattle across the border for fattening and sale. However, in recent years, this situation has ended thanks to the Song Trang Border Guard Post's intensified efforts in combating, preventing, and handling violations, as well as educating the public to avoid participating in such activities.

Officers and soldiers of the Song Trang Border Guard Post are encouraging local households to sign a commitment not to abet smuggling.

Lieutenant Colonel Pham Van Toan, Commander of Song Trang Border Guard Station, said: Strictly implementing the directives of the Border Guard Command and the Border Guard Command of Tay Ninh province regarding the smuggling of cattle across the border, Song Trang Border Guard Station has decisively implemented many solutions, strengthening the fight against smuggling, patrolling, and closely monitoring the border area, which has now proven effective. To prevent livestock smuggling from the source, the station reviews and identifies individuals involved in transporting cattle across the border or households making a living by fattening smuggled cattle in the area. They conduct awareness campaigns, disseminate legal information, and provide livelihood support and job retraining to stabilize their lives.

According to Mr. Le Thanh Yen, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hung Dien commune (Tay Ninh province), the fight against various types of crime has significantly decreased and become more effective, maintaining peace along the border, especially preventing the illegal transportation of livestock across the border. This is thanks to the Song Trang Border Guard Post's intensified efforts and increased coordination with local authorities, police, and veterinary forces. In addition, thanks to increased public awareness campaigns, people understand the methods and tactics used by criminals to exploit and entice people, preventing them from assisting in the smuggling of cattle. Many households have joined forces with authorities to prevent and provide information on criminal activities. To date, the complex situation of cattle smuggling that occurred previously has ceased.

The Song Trang Border Guard Station will coordinate efforts to dismantle a large-scale drug trafficking case in 2025.

Over the past two years, the border area of ​​Hung Dien commune has seen a surge in complex drug trafficking activities. The border guard post, in coordination with the anti-crime and anti-drug forces of the Tay Ninh Provincial Border Guard Command and the police, has effectively combated and dismantled three cases of illegal drug trafficking, seizing 14 blocks of heroin and nearly 51 kg of synthetic drugs. Captain Nguyen Phuoc Hung, Deputy Head of Operations at Song Trang Border Guard Post, recounted: “Some cases lasted for months, with officers and soldiers having to stake out all night, sometimes lying in the bushes or wading in the river, just waiting for the right moment to make the arrest.”

The experience in managing and protecting the border, and effectively combating various types of crime in the past, is thanks to the Song Trang Border Guard Station's consistent and effective border security patrols. The forces have strictly implemented regular and peak-intensity plans; they have leveraged the people's security network, receiving crime reports and denunciations from the public. Patrol teams, focusing on specific topics and coordinating efforts, consistently report clearly on the time, images, and developments along the border using information technology applications. This helps commanders to promptly understand and handle complex incidents. Bilateral patrols with Cambodian forces have been conducted seriously, coordinating in handling incidents, building trust and friendship, and maintaining a peaceful and stable environment.

Officers and soldiers of the Song Trang Border Guard Station are disseminating legal information to people living in the border area.
Officers and soldiers of the Song Trang Border Guard Station are helping people in Hung Dien commune relocate their homes.

“The most difficult thing is managing the people. The lives of the local people are still difficult; they mainly live by rice farming and livestock raising; their education level is low, making them easily susceptible to being lured and enticed into illegal activities. If we don't stay close to the people and understand them, it's very easy for bad elements to exploit them and encourage them to participate in smuggling,” shared Lieutenant Colonel Bui Ngoc Thiep, Political Officer of the Song Trang Border Guard Station.

Faced with this challenge, for many years, in addition to improving the fight against various types of crimes, border fraud, and illegal immigration, the Song Trang Border Guard Station has always been proactive in mobilizing the public and disseminating legal information. Recently, the Station organized 48 concentrated propaganda campaigns with more than 4,800 participants, combined with thousands of smaller-scale propaganda sessions, and mobilized 560 households to sign commitments not to abet smuggling. At the same time, it implemented models such as "Party members in charge of households," "Helping children go to school," and "Border Guard Spring brings warmth to the people." The Station has assigned 16 party members to participate in activities at the hamlet party branches and assigned 22 party members to be in charge of 95 households in the border area.

The Cai Co and Trang rivers flow silently day and night, and the officers and soldiers of the Song Trang Border Guard Post stand like a steel shield on the border, silently holding their ground, protecting every inch of land, every trail, and every peaceful rhythm of life in the border region.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/phong-su-dieu-tra/phong-su/la-chan-thep-ben-dong-song-cai-co-1037921