Two suspects at the police station in the central province of Nghệ An.—VNA/VNS Photo

NGHỆ AN — The Police Department in the central province of Nghệ An has successfully dismantled an illegal trading ring involving prohibited goods, arresting two suspects and seizing 220 kg of unknown-origin fireworks.

According to the Police Division of Administrative Management of Social Order under the department, at around 11pm on Tuesday, the police division, in coordination with Quan Thành Commune’s Police, caught Lê Khắc Hùng, 30, a resident of the commune’s Bắc Phượng Sơn hamlet, in the act of illegally storing seven boxes of fireworks, each containing 49 explosive shells.

During initial questioning at the scene, Hùng admitted that he had purchased the fireworks from Lê Đình Dương, 31, who lives in the same hamlet.

Police then carried out an urgent search of Dương’s residence, where they seized 130 additional boxes of fireworks of the same type.

In total, the police confiscated 137 boxes of fireworks, weighing approximately 220kg.

At the police station, Dương confessed that he had sourced the fireworks from the southern region and transported them back to Nghệ An Province, where he split them into smaller quantities for retail sale to make a profit.

The provincial police is completing case files to handle the two suspects in accordance with the law.

With the Lunar New Year approaching, the police have urged the public to use only fireworks produced by units under the Ministry of National Defence, and to purchase them solely from authorised shops or official distributors with valid invoices and documentation for inspection when required.

Authorities also warned residents not to buy, sell, store or use smuggled or homemade fireworks.

People are advised against purchasing fireworks of unknown origin on social media to avoid legal violations and the risk of fires or serious accidents.

Any violations related to fireworks will be subject to heavy administrative fines or criminal prosecution, depending on the severity of the offence. — VNS