Patrolling with border guards during flood season

Officers and soldiers of Vinh Nguon Border Guard Station visit people's lives and remind them to raise vigilance and denounce crimes. Photo: NGUYEN MINH

During the flood season, the border is submerged in a vast sea of water, but border guards still patrol every meter of sacred land, preventing every step of smuggling, protecting the peace of the Fatherland.

Be ready to face unexpected situations

After noon on a September day, we arrived at Vinh Nguon Border Guard Station to follow the officers and soldiers on patrol, control the border, and prevent smuggling during the flood season. Before leaving, the team leader's orders were clear and strict, from the purpose, requirements to checking the equipment. Everything was very disciplined. After completing the preparations, the patrol team quickly moved down to the boat, left the dock, tore through the water surface and went through Vinh Te canal to the vast water field bordering Takeo province (Kingdom of Cambodia).

The border during the flood season is difficult to demarcate because it is all water and water. The rice fields that border guards used to patrol are now submerged in water. This makes patrolling and controlling even more difficult, especially in the fight against smuggling.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Vo Huy Hoang - Head of Vinh Nguon Border Guard Station, the unit manages a border line of more than 14km, bordering Takeo province, with 6 main markers and 23 secondary markers. During the flood season, the border line is just a white sea of water stretching to the horizon. Taking advantage of the complex and rugged terrain, bad guys increase illegal smuggling activities from outside into our country such as firecrackers, sugar, especially cigarettes...

To maintain border security, officers and soldiers have increased patrols and closed controls. Boats cut through the white fields, checkpoints were set up along the border, especially at hot spots - where criminals often find ways to transport smuggled goods to Vietnam. And it was from these patrols that many large smuggling cases were busted, Lieutenant Colonel Vo Huy Hoang recalled, on December 17, 2024, Vinh Nguon Border Guard Station coordinated with the police force to organize an ambush at Ngoi Nho canal, about 400m from the border. A suspicious boat appeared, the force inspected and discovered 12 pieces of yellow metal inside. The appraisal results confirmed that this was 9999 gold, with a total weight of more than 12kg, worth more than 26.2 billion VND.

This time, the patrol team closed the border, especially the places where criminals often try to smuggle goods into our country. Approaching the "hot spots", the soldiers' eyes became sharp, ready to face any unexpected situations. When passing through these areas, a soldier said: "This time, there are no unexpected factors." The statement seemed like a natural reflex, but we understood that in previous patrols, they had faced many tense situations with criminals.

The boat continued to pass through 2-3 “hot spots”, and then continued to almost the end of the management area. This time, the patrol team did not detect any smuggling or illegal border crossings. Today’s peace is the result of many nights of staying awake to protect the land and the borders of the Fatherland.

On our patrol, we stopped at landmark 267, which marks the border between Vietnam and Cambodia. From afar, the landmark stands tall in the middle of the vast sea like a soldier standing firm in an invisible battle line, steadfastly protecting every inch of our homeland.

According to the head of the border patrol team, during the patrol mission, the team is always well prepared for all situations, from discovering violated landmarks to expanding the scope of inspection. These scenarios are predicted in advance, helping officers and soldiers to proactively respond, so that no surprises happen on the border.

Together with the people to keep the border peaceful

During nearly 2 hours floating on the alluvial water, we felt two intertwined states of the border guards: The seriousness and determination against evil and the closeness and friendliness as a companion to the people in the border area. Just seeing the silhouettes of fishermen on the water, they immediately came to ask sincerely and gave warm smiles like relatives meeting after a long time. That affection was nurtured through many flood seasons, still intact in the eyes and the wave of goodbye.

Seeing the patrol team, Lam Phong Vu, a resident of Vinh Te ward, happily said: “During the flood season, I go fishing day and night in the vast flooded fields. When I meet the soldiers, I feel very secure. The army and people here are close and treat each other sincerely. If there is anything suspicious or a stranger crosses the border, we immediately inform the soldiers.”

That evening, we had another chance to follow the border guards on patrol along the border. The space was dark and quiet, with only the hum of the engine mixed with the sound of water lapping against the side of the boat, mixed with the chirping of insects and the croaking of frogs in the deep fields. Every now and then, the team leader would turn on the lights, as a warning to those who had bad intentions, and also as a message to the people to rest assured to make a living, because the border guards never forget their duty of patrolling the border, determined not to let unexpected situations happen.

Border patrol is like that, the sampans just keep coming, cutting through the water all night long. In the midst of the vast floodwaters, the figure of the Vinh Nguon border guard is like a symbol of a “steel shield” against smuggling, and a “friend” accompanying the people.

The mission was completed, the border was peaceful. On the way back, the boat passed the border posts scattered along the border. The lights at the posts were bright, and the national flag was clearly visible fluttering in the wind. Under the boat, the border guards flashed their lights as if giving a signal, and the soldiers at the posts responded with a comradely wave.

The boat docked at Vinh Nguon Border Post, several young soldiers looked a bit tired. However, their eyes still shone with steadfast faith and pride...

Major Ly Cong Thanh - Political Commissar of Vinh Nguon Border Guard Station said that thanks to the promotion of border patrol and control, combined with extensive legal propaganda, there are no more hot spots in the area managed by the unit, and smuggling crimes have decreased. Currently, people's awareness of the law is increasingly improved, especially in participating in reporting crimes, contributing to the functional forces in effectively implementing the work of fighting and preventing crimes.

TU MINH

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/cung-linh-bien-phong-tuan-tra-mua-nuoc-noi-a463010.html