Intelligence and Security Operations of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Ministry of National Defense

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Penetration Group had a 35-man headquarters staff organized into a 6-man
administrative cell, an 8-man radio cell, a 4-man legal courier cell, a 3-man
illegal courier cell, and a 14-man security guard unit. Directly subordinate to
its headquarters staff were two 40-man courier stations which were each
organized into five courier substations that were responsible for maintaining
compartmented courier lines to various movement operations units. In
February 1974, six 15-man movement operations units were activated. Each
had three to four agent handlers, and were detailed to assist the Eastern Nam
Bo Region 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7 MPS headquarters in accelerating their fifth
column penetration operations. The Eastern Nam Bo Region 1 Unit targeted
the ARVN III Corps Headquarters in Bien Hoa, and the VNAF'Bien Hoa and
Tan Son Nhut Air Bases. Twelve other movement operations units engaged in
operations in the Saigon Capital area, and other areas of South Vietnam. Each
target was covered by one unit which tasked subordinate cells with '
proselytizing officers, and enlisted personnel as follows:
1. Unit 1/731: 15 personnel, including three agent handlers. Following
the arrest of Unit Chief Le Van Be in August 1974, ll penetrations of
the ARVN Naval Command surfaced in the Saigon Capital area. Four
had been inserted by Unit 731 as in-place fifth column assets. One
penetration was a naval lieutenant commander who had penetrated a
naval riverine task force in ARVN IV Corps. Unit Chief Le Van Be
had been engaged in penetrations against the ARVN Navy since
September 1969.
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2. Unit 2/651: 30 personnel, including nine agent handlers. Established
in November 1970, Unit 651 targeted ARVN Airborne and Armored
Cavalry Brigades and ARVN Engineering Department components in
Saigon, Hue, and My Tho. Following the arrest of Unit Chief Pham
Van Vinh in July 1974, 12 penetrations surfaced. Unit Chief Vinh had
engaged in penetration operations in My Tho, Kien Hoa, and Long
An Provinces since April 1964. In February 1972, he falsely defected
to the RVN; received legal documentation; and directed Unit 651
penetration operations. Unit 651 received personnel and agent assets
from the Region 2 MPS.
3. Unit 3: 15 personnel, including three agent handlers. Unit 8 targeted
the VNAF Headquarters and VNAF bases in Bien Hoa, Phan Rang,
and Pleiku. Following the arrest of Unit Chief Tran Le Quan in May
1974, 20 penetrations surfaced. Unit Chief Quan had engaged in
penetration operations against VNAF since 1971. On 8 April 1975, a
VNAF penetration, Lieutenant Nguyen Thanh Trung, bombed the
RVN Presidential Palace; defected to PAVN with his F-5E aircraft;
trained PAVN MIG fighter pilots on how to fly US A-37 fighter
aircraft; and_guided five MIC pilots flying A-37 aircraft in the 28
April 1975 surprise attack on the Tan Son Nhut airbase which
destroyed many VNAF fighter aircraft, several US evacuation
aircraft, and which brought to a halt all air evacuation flights before
the Communist takeover of Saigon on 30 April.
4. Unit 4: 15 personnel, including three agent handlers. Unit 4 targeted
the ARVN 5th Infantry Division in ARVN III Corps. Following the
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