Free Web NovelChapter 1406: Chapter 208: Comprehensive Security Overhaul on the Waterways!
The annual troop formation, reorganization, and military training of the Rescue Boat Team officially kicked off.
This major annual event was attended by the Deputy Chief of Staff of the East Sea Fleet Headquarters and Commander Wang of the Military District at the invitation, with the sound of firm commands and orderly footsteps echoing in the camp.
After seeing off the two commanders, Han Yu handed over the team’s work to the Political Commissioner and Chief of Staff and drove to the fifth-floor conference room of the Maritime Bureau to attend the symposium on the comprehensive regulation of the Yangtze River Security in Binjiang.
Due to overseeing the opening ceremony of the Rescue Boat Team, he hurried over, but was still late, thus he could only tiptoe into the conference room, sitting in the corner of the second row.
Today’s meeting has a direct connection to the crime syndicates with a gang-like nature present in the Jiuwei Port’s Water Sandstone Trading Market, as investigated earlier by the Water Police Station. The meeting was arranged at the Maritime Bureau reportedly because Director Xu seized the opportunity of the Water Police Station’s report to the superior to submit a report on the "three disorders" present along the Yangtze River coastline in the Binjiang section.
The problem lies on the water, but the root is on the shore.
The City Committee and the Municipal Government attach great importance to this, with Secretary Zhou of the City Political and Legal Committee, Vice Mayor Chen who is also the Police Chief, and Director Zhang of the Port Authority personally attending the meeting at the Maritime Bureau to listen to reports from heads of the various law enforcement units on the river.
It is worth mentioning that this Port Authority is different from the other Port Authority.
The current Port Authority is officially called the Binjiang City Port Management Bureau, a government department newly established last year, responsible for public infrastructure of the ports throughout the city, including the construction, maintenance, and management of public access waterways, breakwaters, and anchorages, as well as the review and approval of major port engineering projects and major supporting construction projects within the port district.
The former Port Authority has now become the Binjiang Port (Group) Co., Ltd., which is no longer jointly managed by the Ministry of Transport and Binjiang City but is now a joint-stock enterprise controlled by the Binjiang City State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.
It seems that units like the Water Police Station, Changhang Bureau, Marine and Fishery Bureau’s Fishery Administration Law Enforcement Team, Water Resources Bureau’s Water Law Enforcement Team, and the Border Inspection Station have all completed their reports, and it was currently Director Xu of the Maritime Bureau reporting.
"In recent years, the phenomena of ’unauthorized occupation’, ’unauthorized construction’, and ’unauthorized discharge’ along the Yangtze River have become increasingly serious. As per the superior’s request, our bureau conducted a statistical survey of the coastline within our jurisdiction last month and found sixty-three illegal dock enterprises occupying a total of 5.6 kilometers along the Yangtze River’s Binjiang section."
"Among these, fifty-nine are involved in sand and stone construction materials, one in fuel oil, two in sulfuric acid, and one in diesel operations. These illegal docks not only erode valuable Yangtze River coastline resources but also pose serious threats to Yangtze River navigation safety, port market order, and the ecological environment of water systems, affecting the sustainable development of the economy and society."
Theoretically, the Maritime Bureau has the authority to manage the use of the Yangtze River coastline.
In actuality, the Maritime Bureau cannot do much.
Whether the Yangtze River can be managed well cannot rely solely on the Maritime Bureau but requires strong support from the local party committee and government.
Director Xu prepared extensively for today’s report, gesturing his subordinate to turn off the lights and began presenting a slideshow to the two city leaders.
"Dust flies on sunny days, and mud splatters on rainy days, which can be said to depict the illegal sand terminals at Yingchuan Port."
Director Xu pointed at the screen, with a furrowed brow, said, "Secretary Zhou, Mayor Chen, the Yingchuan Port River is an important conduit for Yangtze River water diversion, but at the river mouth where it meets the Yangtze River, there are, astonishingly, thirteen illegal sand terminals occupying 1,372 meters of the coastline, with an annual throughput of four million tons of sand and stone. Some of these illegal terminals have existed for nearly twenty years..." ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
Why mention those illegal terminals’ history, of all things?
Han Yu figured Director Xu probably reported all in vain today, as the city has its considerations.
City leaders must be thinking, those terminals have existed for twenty years, when were your Maritime Bureau or even your predecessor Port Supervision Bureau established?
In other words, those terminals are historical problems, not something that could be eliminated by a document from your Maritime or another department.
After all, dismantling terminals is not easy, involving dismantling cranes, concrete bases, bridges, pipelines, tanks, relocating floating cranes, dunships, and even clearing millions of tons of aggregate in those terminal yards.
Not to mention the economic loss this would cause to terminal enterprises, the cost of eradication itself would require a significant amount. Who would provide this money?
Moreover, while there might be incomplete procedures in some instances, those terminals might be illegal on your side but remain legal on the business or taxation side.
More importantly, there are countless ’black terminals’ with incomplete procedures along the entire Yangtze River. Why would Binjiang manage when neither the upstream nor the downstream does?
In conclusion, existence is rational; those ’black terminals’ even contributed to Binjiang’s economic development, and it’s impossible for Binjiang to do such a thankless task of comprehensive eradication.
As Han Yu expected, after Director Xu finished his report concerned, Secretary Zhou of the Political and Legal Committee W set down his cup, saying unhurriedly, "Director Xu, what you introduced just now is very important. After we return, Mayor Chen and I will report truthfully to the City Committee and Municipal Government. But today’s meeting, borrowing your bureau’s site, is about the comprehensive regulation of security on the river and coastline. Let’s discuss security first."
"Furthermore, the issues you mentioned aren’t something the Political and Legal Committee W and the Police Bureau can resolve; this involves multiple departments, even our local party committee government, and your Maritime, Changhang police, and other vertically managed departments. Just thinking about it is troublesome."
Seeing Secretary Zhou looking at him, Vice Mayor Chen coughed lightly before leaning forward, "Salted Fish is here, Salted Fish, since you are the ’Water Army Commander’ in our Binjiang, say a few words regarding security on the river."
"Mayor Chen, did Director Wang make a report?"
"Old Wang was the first to report, and Director Qi already introduced the security situation on the river, especially the shortcomings in security management on the river. Now, Secretary Zhou and I would like to hear your opinion."
"Two leaders, since Director Wang and Director Qi have covered it, I have nothing much to add. The information I possess they are aware of and likely have reported. What I don’t know, they know, considering I’ve been focusing on anti-smuggling for over a year and am not as informed about the river’s situation as Director Wang and Director Qi."
"Modesty!"
"Mayor Chen, truly, I’m not being modest. I speak from my heart."
"Since there’s nothing to add, then today’s symposium ends here. Director Xu, Director Qi, what are your thoughts."
"Alright."
"Mayor Chen, I have no objections."
...
Rushed to the meeting eagerly, but after sitting down, the meeting soon adjourned.
Han Yu and the Chief of Staff of the border inspection station, Li Jun, followed Director Xu, Director Qi, and other leaders, escorting the two city leaders downstairs.
Mayor Chen did not rush to get in the car but turned around and said, "Director Qi, Old Wang, regarding the situation your two departments jointly reported the day before yesterday, our City Bureau Party Committee has studied it and unanimously believes that there should be a focus on jurisdiction within the situations you discovered."
"Mayor Chen, I don’t quite understand."
"For instance, the issue of black and evil forces in the Jiuwei Port water sand and gravel market involves the shore, so it would be best for the Water Police Station to organize the investigation. Similarly, disputes and ordinary criminal cases that occur between foreign ships or sailors should fall under your branch’s jurisdiction, which would facilitate the investigation and prosecution. What do you think?"
Whenever there are black and evil forces, there can be protective umbrellas, and they will likely involve some local tyrants.
Handling such cases by the Water Police Station is indeed more favorable than handling them by the Changhang Bureau.
Director Qi nodded: "No problem, I have no objections."
"Then it’s settled. Old Wang, once you return, immediately form a Special Task Force, drawing from the evidence to formulate an arrest plan."
"Yes!"
"Salted Fish, you were late to today’s symposium, but you cannot ignore river security affairs nor shirk responsibility by saying you’re currently an anti-smuggling police officer. In any case, as the Water Army Commander, you have to play your part, especially in the upcoming arrest operation. You must participate to ensure arrest security."
Arresting on water is different from onshore; if not handled well, it could lead to fatalities.
Han Yu responded without hesitation: "Don’t worry, Mayor Chen, I’ll definitely participate."
"Good, I’m relying on you."
...
After seeing off Vice Mayor Chen, Han Yu drove back to the Water Police Station with Wang Wenhong. ƒгeewёbnovel.com
Political Commissioner Ma, Zhao Hongxing, Ma Jintao, Yang Yong, and others were waiting in the meeting room for news. Director Qi also brought Jiang Youwei and Liu Guixiang, and without asking, it was known the case was primarily handled by the Water Police Station, but the Changhang Bureau would also help with the arrest.
"Hongxing, Mayor Chen has given the orders, you introduce the situation first."
"Yes!"
After painstaking investigation for over ten days, Zhao Hongxing awaited this moment, pinned a photo on the blackboard with a pushpin, and quickly wrote a name: "This guy’s last name is Wang, called Wang Baoqing, a Changzhou native, thirty-eight years old this year. As he’s the third brother in the family, some call him Wang San, others call him Third Brother."
Han Yu stared closely at the photo, thinking to himself that so he is Third Brother!
"Wang Baoqing originally worked as a dock handler at Tiansheng Port Pier. Since he was familiar with the dock manager, he would occasionally help manage some things and gradually became a dock subcontractor. Last February, he and his second brother, Wang Baosheng, partnered to contract a sand and gravel pier at the Jiuwei Port water sand and gravel market. Under the guise of assisting in market management and control of the port entry and exit and loading and unloading order, they charged vessels carrying sand and gravel so-called management fees."
Zhao Hongxing pinned a second photo: "This is his second brother, Wang Baosheng, who was also a dock handler at Tiansheng Port Pier. He once got into a brawl over loading and unloading goods, seriously injuring another group of handlers, which led the Gangzha Branch to open a case and investigate. He was eventually sentenced to three years by the court.
After the two brothers switched from Tiansheng Port to the Jiuwei Port water sand and gravel trading market, they monopolized the loading and unloading business at the piers and gathered six idle persons in the community to intimidate individual operators in the market, thereby obtaining actual control over the piers."
Ma Jintao stood up to help pin the gang members’ photos onto the blackboard.
As Zhao Hongxing wrote the names below the photos, he continued: "Among these six idle individuals, four have been dealt with by our police agency, and two are released prisoners. The water sand and gravel trading market was initiated by the village; in our investigation, we found that the brothers Wang Baosheng and Wang Baoqing frequently interacted with two village cadres."
Han Yu couldn’t help but ask: "Director Wang, will we arrest those two village cadres?"
"Yes." Wang Wenhong extinguished his cigarette and said coldly, "We’ll first control the people, then have the disciplinary inspection departments investigate. Mayor Chen will help us coordinate with the Chonggang District."
"When will the net be cast?"
"Let’s wait a bit longer." Wang Wenhong looked back at Zhao Hongxing.
Zhao Hongxing nodded slightly and continued: "Through ten-plus days of indirect investigation, we discovered Wang Baoqing’s wife manages the accounts. The gang charges the vessels unloading sand and gravel certain management fees, pays six thugs their wages, and buys groceries daily; she maintains a ledger of these transactions.
Given the great mobility of cargo ships, it was challenging to gather evidence, so the ledger in her hand is the crucial evidence. When we cast the net, we not only need to capture the entire gang at once but also secure the ledger."
Han Yu thought for a moment and asked further: "Director Zhao, are they merely calling it a management fee?"
"It’s more than just collecting protection fees; they are also suspected of provoking trouble and intentional injury."
Zhao Hongxing picked up a stack of case materials, introducing them: "Through investigation, we discovered at least four foreign crew members have been assaulted by them. Just three days ago, a small sand and gravel purchasing boss argued over the high ferry fees crossing the river with a village ferry boat owner. Wang Baosheng then led several thugs over to beat the person black and blue."
