Be Careful Not to Commit a Crime of Infringing National Security

Within just the first six months of 2016, the National Civil Aviation Security Committee recorded numerous incidents impacting the security assurance of civil aviation. Among these were four incidents involving laser beams pointed at aircraft in the Noi Bai area (Soc Son, Hanoi).

According to the document from the Aviation Security Committee, laser beams can affect pilots' eyes, cause temporary loss of control, and in the worst case, result in severe consequences for aviation security.

Currently, there are no administrative sanctions for the act of pointing laser beams at airplanes. However, if an individual deliberately performs such an act, depending on the severity, they may be classified under the crime of disrupting security as stipulated in Article 89 of the Criminal Code 1999. Specifically:

1. Anyone who, with the aim of opposing the people's government, incites, lures, or gathers many people to disrupt security, opposes law enforcement officers, or obstructs the activities of agencies and organizations shall be sentenced to 5-7 years of imprisonment;
2. Other accomplices shall be sentenced to 2-7 years of imprisonment.

Additionally, anyone who commits acts infringing upon national security may also face supplementary punishments such as probation; deprivation of certain citizen rights: the right to run for office, the right to vote in the election of state power bodies; the right to work in state agencies, and the right to serve in the people's armed forces. Depending on the severity of the crime and the offender's rehabilitation efforts, the duration of these punitive measures may be adjusted accordingly.

It is also possible that the main pilot loses control leading to an accident causing multiple casualties. In this situation, the offender may also be charged with involuntary manslaughter as defined in Article 98 of the Criminal Code 1999.

1. Anyone who unintentionally causes death shall be sentenced to 6 months to 5 years of imprisonment.
2. Committing the crime of causing multiple deaths shall be sentenced to 3-10 years of imprisonment.

Furthermore, individuals who disseminate or provide false information about bombs, mines, explosives, radioactive substances, or biochemical weapons, thereby affecting the normal operations of civil aviation, shall be fined between 20,000,000 VND and 30,000,000 VND. (according to Point b, Clause 7, Article 24 of Decree 147/2013/ND-CP)

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