Police find passenger bus packed with explosives in northern Vietnam

Vietnam's traffic police said they have seized more than one ton of explosives and explosive ingredients packed in a passenger bus in a northern province bordering China.

The 16-seater bus was stopped for a check late Wednesday evening in Van Ban District of Lao Cai Province, some 290 kilometers (180 miles) northwest of Hanoi. 

Inspectors found 43 sacks containing 860 kilograms (1,900 lbs) of mining explosive AD1, which were wrapped in long, slim cylinder packages and packed inside cardboard boxes.

The police also found another six sacks containing 300 kg of small white grain, suspected to be ammonium nitrate, an ingredient used to make explosive, the police said.

Police found a number of small round cylinder suspected to be explosives. Photo by Thanh Tuan.

The bus's driver, identified as Tran Ngoc Anh, 35, told the police he was hired by a man to deliver the explosives to Lao Cai for VND8 million ($350).

The Vietnamese government holds monopoly in production and trading of explosives while businesses in need of using them are required to obtain license. Firecrackers, a traditional item often used during Vietnam's Lunar New Year festivals, weddings and several other occasions have been banned since 1995. 

Violations involving the usage of explosives are often found in mining and fishing.

If found guilty for trafficking 101 kilograms of explosive or more, the offender could get jail terms of between 15-20 years or life in prison, according to Vietnam's Penal Code issued in 2015.