Binjiang Police Affairs-Chapter 1113 - 14: Unprecedented Scale!

At four-thirty in the morning, Chief Xu rushed to the Port Supervision Bureau Traffic Control Center.

Without visiting Binjiang, one wouldn't know how pragmatic the city's river law enforcement units are. Chief Xu was expecting a send-off ceremony, but the head of Binjiang City's Anti-Smuggling Comprehensive Governance Leadership Group, Vice Mayor Qin, solemnly issued the action order to the camera!

"Group One, copy that, over."

"Group Two, copy that, over."

"Group Three, copy that, over."

...

The Traffic Control Center is equipped with a closed-circuit television monitoring system. Since it's still dark outside, the screens were pitch black, making it impossible to see where the participating officers or the law enforcement vessels were.

All that could be seen was the dense radar detection signals on the computer monitor, and the responses from each team leader over the high-frequency radio.

Reporters from Binjiang TV Station arrived and, after filming the process of Vice Mayor Qin issuing the action order, were led by Chief Liu to Chief Xu: "Chief Xu, the TV reporters would like to interview you."

"Sure, where should the interview take place?"

"Chief Xu, could you please stand here? This way we can get the background in the shot."

"Alright."

The questions asked by the reporters weren't a problem for Chief Xu. Without any need for preparation, he confidently spoke into the camera and the reporter's microphone.

After interviewing Chief Xu, the reporters went on to interview Vice Mayor Qin.

Chief Xu, still pondering what the comrades in Binjiang were up to, was invited by Chief Liu to listen to Zhou Huixin's report on the water-based anti-smuggling deployment.

"Chief Xu, please look over here."

Zhou Huixin, holding a telescopic pointer, pointed at the Yangtze River Map on the wall and said: "A major water inspection differs from a land-based inspection. During water-based operations, we first have to consider waterway safety. After multiple studies and communications with relevant units, we've divided the crackdown action based on the waterway and anchorage situation in the Yangtze River waterfront section into five sub-battlefields: Linghai, Changzhou, Binjiang Development Zone, Gaoru, and the coastal fish ports.

The Linghai Development Zone has the widest water surface, with four ocean liner anchorages and six inland river vessel anchorages. The newly dredged special waterway for Linghai Port can also be used as a temporary anchorage, making Linghai the main battlefield for this maritime anti-smuggling operation!"

Inspections on the river are not the same as those on land.

Particularly when inspecting large ocean liners, it's definitely not feasible to approach them lightly, nor to order them to drop anchor in the waterway, but rather to command them to an anchorage for inspection.

Chief Xu nodded in satisfaction, signaling Zhou Huixin to continue.

"The Changzhou section has two ocean liner anchorages and three inland river vessel anchorages and is adjacent to the Linghai Development Zone, so the Changzhou sub-battlefield is mainly responsible for inspecting vessels that the Linghai sub-battlefield cannot cover."

Zhou Huixin paused and continued: "The inspection point for the Binjiang Development Zone section is set at the Yingchuan Port water area, similar to the upstream Gaoru sub-battlefield, mainly inspecting downriver vessels."

Chief Xu curiously asked: "What about the coastal fish port sub-battlefield?"

"In the first stage of the operation, the coastal fish port sub-battlefield mainly focuses on inspecting fishing boats entering and leaving Lvsi Port, San Zao Port, and Xiao Yangkou Port. Due to the limited number of law enforcement vessels capable of maritime crackdown, we must wait until the second stage of the operation to organize forces for at-sea inspections."

"How many law enforcement vessels were deployed today in total?"

"Twenty-one."

Zhou Huixin listed them off like a treasure trove: "Six at the Linghai sub-battlefield, namely Binjiang Police 001, Customs 008, Supervision 37, Supervision 48, Yangtze Police 110, and Water Administration Supervision 010. The Linghai water-based anti-smuggling action group has a group leader and three deputy leaders. The group leader is Comrade Wang Yun, director of the Binjiang Customs Linghai Office.

The three deputy leaders are Comrade Han Xiangning, director of the Linghai Port Supervision Office; Comrade Liu Zhiyuan, deputy chief of staff of the Binjiang Border Inspection Station; and Comrade Chen Zikun, chief of the Changhang Binjiang Police Station Linghai Police Station. Team members primarily come from Customs, Port Supervision, Binjiang Border Inspection Station, Binjiang Water Police Branch, Changhang Binjiang Police Station, and the Binjiang Water Resources Supervision Enforcement Team."

"What about the Changzhou sub-battlefield?"

"The Changzhou sub-battlefield has a total of four law enforcement vessels: Binjiang Police 002, Supervision 39, Fishery Administration 309 of the Provincial Fishery General Team's Direct Detachment, and Patrol Boat 206 of the Border Inspection Station. The Changzhou water-based anti-smuggling action group similarly has one group leader and three deputy leaders.

The group leader is Comrade Dong Maosheng, head of the Binjiang Customs Supervision Division. The three deputy leaders are Comrade Fan Tongqi, director of the Changzhou Port Supervision Office; Comrade Jiang Nansheng, captain of the First Squad of the Border Inspection Station; and Comrade Ma Jintao, captain of the Binjiang Water Police Third Team. The personnel mainly come from Customs, Port Supervision, Water Police, and Border Inspection..."

The inspections simultaneously unfold over a fifty-kilometer river segment.

All four sub-battlefields on the river have law enforcement vessels. Each vessel is manned by customs officers, port supervision law enforcement personnel, armed public security police, and similarly armed police border guards!

The grand inspection, just begun, has its focus.

Summarized, it's primarily inspecting ocean liners, with inland river boats as a secondary focus, and upriver vessels are prioritized over downriver ones. Among ocean liners, the focus is on bulk carriers, while container ships are secondary because it's impractical to open containers onboard for inspection; it's only possible to first check cargo manifests and other documents, along with seaman's certificates.

Because the operation is divided into several battlefields and each participating vessel was mobilized nearby, it would be time-consuming and a waste of fuel for them to first gather for a send-off ceremony and then return, so they're sent directly to designate positions instead.

Fearing that their superiors might be displeased, Zhou Huixin added with a smile: "Chief Xu, we've organized a media coverage team, and TV reporters are present with each action group to cover everything in detail. The footage of Vice Mayor Qin issuing the orders at the Traffic Control Center and the water anti-smuggling action groups receiving the orders has been captured.

The footage from each reporting team will be sent back to the TV station by noon at the latest, and the TV station will mobilize resources to edit it as quickly as possible, striving to have it submitted to the provincial TV station by 4 PM, and it will definitely be on the news on Binjiang TV tonight. I assure you, the footage will convey a sense of urgency."

The smuggling situation varies in each area.

For example, in Jiangnan Province, the main battlefield in anti-smuggling efforts is onshore.

However, in the minds of most people, smuggling goods using ships is considered true smuggling. In reality, while such situations do exist, compared to those who generate smuggling opportunities through import and export documentation, blatant smuggling via water transport is much less frequent.

The reason for organizing such a large-scale water-based anti-smuggling operation is primarily to create a momentum to deter increasingly rampant smuggling activities, which makes publicity very important.

The Binjiang Anti-Smuggling Office has thought through and planned everything thoroughly.

Chief Xu nodded, then thought for a moment and asked: "What is Salted Fish doing?"

"Salted Fish is fully in charge of commanding the water-based anti-smuggling operations while coordinating with port and shipping enterprises along the way. Since the ongoing major water inspection is the largest in scale and duration since the reform and opening up, it's hard to say whether any smuggling or otherwise illegal vessels will attempt to flee. Our law enforcement vessels aren't large, so intercepting them could be very dangerous. If such a situation arises, Salted Fish will request assistance from the high-powered tugboats of port and shipping enterprises along the waterway."

"What about Comrade Xu Mingyuan?"

"Xu Mingyuan is responsible for inspecting fishing boats entering and leaving the surrounding three coastal counties. He and Director Zeng departed last night, as their actions mainly involve cooperation with the Fishery Administration and the Border Guard Branch Corps."

Just then, having finished his interview, Vice Mayor Qin came over and suggested with a smile: "Chief Xu, since all the comrades from Port Supervision, Police, Border Inspection, Border Defense, and Fishery Administration are here, let's take a group photo together."

"Alright, thank you all for supporting the anti-smuggling efforts."

"Chief Xu, our Port Supervision Bureau is also a member of the Anti-Smuggling Leadership Group, so there's no need to thank us; it's our duty."

Though this is an unprecedented large-scale water-based anti-smuggling operation, it's a certainty that the gains from combating smuggling will not surpass those from addressing waterway traffic violations.

Rather than saying the city funded a joint operation involving Border Inspection, Border Defense, Water Police, and Yangtze Police to combat smuggling, it's more accurate to say they are financially supporting Port Supervision in investigating waterway violations. It's foreseeable how many fines will be handed out and how many illegal vessels will be detained over the next month.

Because of this, Director Tang is the happiest, eagerly joining the leaders for a photo with a smile.

Director Qi from the Changhang Bureau is equally pleased and had already confirmed over the phone with Salted Fish yesterday that the investigation into waterway fire safety hazards falls under the Changhang Bureau's jurisdiction, while the Water Police Station only handles violations of waterway security.

The Agricultural Bureau and Water Resources Bureau are involved to a minimal extent, with few vessels and personnel deployed, but Director Zhou and Director Liao are still happy, at least enough to show up and raise their visibility.