Binjiang Police Affairs
Chapter 122 - 105: A Fine of 5 Yuan

Chapter 122: Chapter 105: A Fine of 5 Yuan

At 12:26 PM, vessel 001 set sail on schedule.

We began by addressing the issue of "darkness under the lamplight," starting inspections from the anchorage on the west side of the dunship.

Humans are social creatures, and similarly, boats anchored on the river prefer to moor alongside one another for both company and mutual assistance. This not only deters water bandits but also significantly reduces the risk of dragging anchor.

This was also advantageous for Han Yu, Director Jin, and others. By approaching one boat, they could inspect an entire row.

Han Yu turned on the police lights and sounded the siren for twenty seconds before picking up the loudspeaker and announcing over 001’s powerful horn.

"Attention all crew members, attention all crew members, we are police from Linghai County Police Bureau Yanjiang Police Station. We’re now conducting a joint operation with the Binjiang Changjiang Port and Navigation Supervision Bureau Third Law Enforcement Team for a pre-Spring Festival inspection of public safety and maritime traffic safety..."

Little Salted Fish spoke with well-placed emphasis, and the announcements sounded quite formidable.

Sister Zhu looked back at the second-floor pilot house and instinctively asked, "Ningning, how does your brother know we are conducting a pre-Spring Festival maritime traffic safety inspection?"

Han Xiangning chuckled in response, "It’s common for law enforcement agencies to conduct major inspections before the Spring Festival. They have started the maritime public safety inspections since before New Year’s Day."

"I nearly forgot, they also have to enforce the law."

Sister Zhu had a sudden realization.

Director Jin came back to his senses too, staring intently at an iron vessel drawing closer and reminding, "Sister Zhu, Ningning, be careful stepping onto the boat later; the gunwale is slippery, don’t fall into the river."

"Don’t worry, we’ll be careful," Sister Zhu replied hastily.

As they spoke, vessel 001 slowly approached the outermost iron boat.

Old Liu, with his waist akimbo and a hand on the gun at his waist, stood at the bow looking formidable.

Under the astonished gazes of boat owners and shipmen who had come out after hearing the announcements, Zhu Baogen carefully climbed onto the iron vessel to start securing ropes.

Liang Xiaoyu put on gloves and went to secure the stern ropes.

Han Yu handed the helm to Captain Wang and descended from the second floor to the command center, grabbed a bag, slung it across his shoulder, and joined Old Liu at the bow.

That morning, this police law enforcement vessel had towed the police dunship from Bailong River and moored it by the riverside, which everyone had seen.

Maritime traffic was not under police jurisdiction, so there seemed to be little to fear. No one took it seriously, and some even felt that anchoring near the police barge was safer, allowing them to sleep more soundly at night than usual.

Unexpectedly, the police went on to conduct inspections right after reaching the riverside, and even in conjunction with port supervision enforcement...

The boat owner was distressed and asked with a grimace, "Comrade police, what are you inspecting?"

"Didn’t I explain clearly just now? We are inspecting public safety and maritime traffic safety!"

Old Liu was the second to board the cargo ship, gestured for the boat owner to step back and make room for the port supervision officials to board.

The gunwale was very narrow, and the owner didn’t dare obstruct their path, retreating to the deck behind the pilot house.

Director Jin was the third to board, and instead of rushing to inspect, turned around to assist Sister Zhu.

Han Yu and Liang Xiaoyu, who had just finished tying the ropes, followed closely.

Other boat owners and crews also came to see what was happening, some even holding children.

With the support of the police for the joint operation, Director Jin was very confident as he pointed at them and said, "There’s nothing to see here in the inspection; it’ll be your turn soon. Go back and prepare your ship registration certificates, seaman’s competence certificates, ship’s visa registration books, and ship’s entry and exit port visa reports!"

A boat owner asked with a frown, "You’re inspecting all of this..."

"And the insurance policy and proof of payment for port and navigation industry fees."

"What port and navigation industry fees?"

"That would be the water transport management fees!"

Afraid the boat owner wouldn’t understand, Sister Zhu added, "Anyone engaged in water transport must pay water transport management fees, navigation fees, waterway maintenance fees, port fees, and contribute to the Port Construction Fund, regardless of location. You guys definitely have them; you wouldn’t get the certificates without it."

Old Liu, as both a police and a member of the port and navigation system, was unsurprised by this.

Zhu Baogen and Liang Xiaoyu were stunned to hear that running a vessel involved so many certificates and fees.

Not only did Han Yu study water transport management, but his family also operated vessels, and he was well aware that many boat owners used to be fishermen or even farmers and were not as professional as employees of shipping companies.

They had low levels of education, limited experience, and a weak sense of safety.

Only focusing on making money, they constantly sought ways to reduce transportation costs in pursuit of maximum profits, with no "I must be safe" mindset. The current state of waterway traffic management could be described as "forcing them to be safe."

Lacking respect for great rivers could lead to the ruin of one’s family and even cause tragedies for others.

Han Yu felt that regulations must be strictly enforced on matters of principle, and looking up, he said, "Prepare your seaman’s certificates and seaman household registers as well; we’ll inspect them shortly!"

"Comrade police, we only have our regular household register; we haven’t heard about needing to apply for a seaman’s household register or a seaman’s certificate."

"When did you start working in water transport?"

"Since ’81."

"Since ’81, huh? Since ’82, the Ministry of Police has required all personnel involved in water transport, whether their household registration was for seaman households, collective boat households, or land-based, to obtain a seaman’s certificate! There were campaigns over and over again, six years of mobilization, giving you six years to comply. How could you possibly not have heard about it!"

"But I really haven’t heard about it."

Han Yu walked over to the port side and stared directly at the defying boat owner, asking, "Where is your hometown?"

The boat owner, seeing Old Liu following, didn’t dare to be so bold anymore, and grudgingly said, "From Nanhu."

"From where in Nanhu? You’ve never heard of it, huh? I’m tempted to call up your local police bureau to ask if they’ve ever campaigned for it, if they’ve ever told you to get it!"

"Comrade police, I..."

"No ’I’ about it. Go back to your boat and await inspection."

The most aggressive and difficult owner meekly walked away, and the others didn’t dare linger around to watch the spectacle, heading back to their respective boats.

Han Xiangning couldn’t help but smile, thinking that although her younger brother was not of age, he certainly carried out enforcement very professionally.

Director Jin and Sister Zhu, seeing the situation come under control, began their work with the crew of this boat by showing their identification, then took out a folder from the bag, pulled out a pen, and started conducting the inspection by asking questions.

"What’s your name?"

"Hu Junwei."

"Do you have a ship registration certificate?"

"Yes, I have the certificate right here."

"Seaman’s Position Certificate, that’s the Seaman’s Certificate."

"Have that too, I... I forgot to bring it."

"Forgot to bring it, or don’t have one?"

"I really have it, just forgot to bring it."

"Show me the ship’s visa registration book."

The ship owner had no choice but to bite the bullet and take the registration book out of the cabin.

As ships have high mobility, ships’ entry and exit visas serve as an important means for the Water Transport Management to regulate vessels.

No matter where they go, they must obtain a visa at the visa agency, bringing the necessary documents. The visa agents will record what ship it is, what cargo it carries, the route, navigation area, as well as the time and place.

Director Jin looked at the visa registration book and then asked, "Who are Zhao Ziqing and Fu Yibo?"

The ship owner was at a loss for words, his head drooping, too scared to utter a sound.

Sister Zhu pressed further: "You’re using someone else’s certificate, aren’t you?"

"..."

"And the ship’s safety inspection book — do you have it?"

"Yes."

"Hand it over."

...

One doesn’t know until they check; a plethora of problems were discovered upon inspection.

Han Xiangning was crouching on the roof of the cockpit, and based on the issues recorded by Director Jin, one by one she started to issue violation fine receipts.

Worrying that her junior might think her law enforcement wasn’t regular, she explained the reasons for the fines to the distressed ship owner while writing the fine receipts.

"This is the punishment administered to you according to the ’Internal River Traffic Safety Management Regulations of the People’s Republic of China’ and the ’Jiangnan Province Water Transportation Violation Punishment Regulations’.

The two helmsmen on board not only drove without a license and started the engine without certification but also committed identity fraud. A two hundred yuan fine is imposed for each offense, and the falsely used Seaman’s Certificates and ship registration certificates are detained."

"Is there any way to not detain the certificate?"

"That would be substituting a fine for custody, wouldn’t it? Our fines are a means, not an end, ultimately still for the safety of waterway transportation."

Han Xiangning tore off the first fine receipt, clipped it to the side with a small clip, and began filling out the second one, continuing to explain the reasons for the fines.

"The ship did not write its name according to the regulations, fined ten yuan."

"The ship did not have the load line mark as required, fined ten yuan."

"The diesel engine used on the ship does not match the one listed in the ship’s certificates, fined fifty yuan."

"The ship did not follow the regulations when obtaining port entry and exit visas, fined fifty yuan."

"The ship did not show the required signals when mooring, fined ten yuan."

...

One by one, the fines were explained clearly, and a stack of fine receipts was collected in the blink of an eye.

Just when Zhu Baogen and Liang Xiaoyu were secretly amazed that one ship could be fined several hundred, Han Xiangning took out a calculator from her bag and quickly started calculating.

"You have fourteen violations at the same time, with each subject to separate penalties, combined execution totals eight hundred and sixty yuan. But according to the safety inspection book, six of these violations are repeated offenses within three months, according to the regulations, should be subject to two to five times the fines."

"Given your repeated offenses, we will impose the maximum penalty according to the regulations. The six violations together should be fined six hundred and twenty yuan, and five times that is three thousand one hundred yuan, plus the other fines of two hundred and forty yuan, making a total of three thousand three hundred and forty yuan."

A single ship fined three thousand four hundred! How much money could all the ships combined be fined!

Zhu Baogen and Liang Xiaoyu were stunned, unable to believe that the Port Supervision could impose such harsh fines.

The ship owner was like a mourning son, with a sorrowful face saying, "I don’t have that much money."

Han Xiangning put down the calculator, looked up, and said, "No rush. According to the regulations, our Binjiang Port Supervision Bureau only has the authority to issue warnings, revoke the sea crew’s certificates, detain the ship, and impose fines of up to eight hundred yuan.

Fines above eight hundred yuan require approval from the provincial Navigation Administration and Port Management Department, and the approval process will probably take about a week. You have one week to prepare the money."

Sister Zhu was also busy. She quickly filled out three copies of the penalty decision form and signaled the ship owner to sign:

"Hu Junwei, if you do not accept our decision on the penalty, you may file a lawsuit with the court within fifteen days. If the deadline passes without filing a lawsuit or complying, we can apply to the People’s Court for enforcement."

Not only a fine, but also detention of the certificate and the vessel!

This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened, but before, they only had to deal with the Navigation Administration (the predecessor of Port Supervision) and talk nicely to them, to see if they could be fined less.

If they were unapproachable, it wasn’t too bad to have a confrontation with them!

But today was different from the past; three police officers came, all armed with guns. Making a move would be like running into the barrel of a gun.

They couldn’t even try to be tricky; the police actually used a tugboat to assist the Port Supervision in the inspection and fines. If they didn’t honestly take the ship to their designated anchorage, they could use the tugboat to tow away both the ship and its cargo...

The ship owner had no choice but to sign the document earnestly.

Since it was a joint law enforcement effort, the police also had to make an appearance.

Captain Wang had prepared the documents and fine receipts in advance, but seeing the stack of fine receipts issued by his senior, he was a bit embarrassed to take them out.

Recalling the instructions from the Director earlier, he had no choice but to take out the documents and a thick book of fine receipts and said, "Hu Junwei, none of the three people on your ship have processed a Seaman’s Certificate or a temporary Seaman’s Certificate. According to the relevant regulations, it’s a five yuan fine for each person."

"Oh."

"This is an on-site penalty and requires cash payment."

Captain Wang tore off three small receipts imprinted with the Linghai Police Bureau, each fined five yuan, and bearing a special seal marked "Fine for No Seaman’s Certificate" and handed them over.

The ship owner took the receipts and promptly paid the cash, thinking to himself that the police were still reasonable, only fining a total of fifteen yuan for three people.

The junior might be young and so be their fines, "pocket-sized" as it were.

Han Xiangning curiously looked at the receipts and to her surprise, she found that not only were the receipts poorly printed but also had sequential numbers from No.00001 to No.00003.

That is to say, the junior didn’t just issue the first fine receipt of his life but also the first-ever fine receipt by the Yanjiang Police Station or even the Linghai Police Bureau for not having a Seaman’s Certificate!

Three people and three guns were deployed, with sirens and flashing lights making such a show of force, resulting in just a fifteen yuan fine.

Thinking that without the joint enforcement with the Port Supervision, this meager sum wouldn’t even cover the fuel cost, Han Xiangning hurriedly turned her back to the ship owner, afraid that she would be unable to restrain her laughter.