Are there hundreds of thousand kilograms of backlogged plastic scraps in Tan Vu port related to Duc Dat Company?

Plastic scraps imported to Hai Phong port were detected and seized by Customs force. Photo: Ngọc Linh

Was it relating to Duc Dat service trading import export Co, Ltd.,?

Hai Phong port area 1 Customs Branch (Hai Phong Customs Department) informed enterprises, organizations and individuals for looking up owners of 128 backlogged containers including 292 containers which have been held in custody in the yard of Tan Vu port (Hai Phong city) and 78 backlogged shipments including 175 containers which have been held in custody in the yard of PTSC Dinh Vu port (Hai Phong city). Those containers are overdue by 90 days since the day of arrival but have not implemented customs procedures yet.

According to the Customs Branch list, there were many shipments that arrived at the port over a year ago, but enterprises have not come to do procedures at Tan Vu port.

Especially, among those backlogged containers in Tan Vu port area, there were 8 containers of plastic scraps with the receipt information of DUC DAT SERVICE TRADING IMPORT-EXPORT CO, LTD (address in Yen Khanh district, Ninh Binh province) with the total weight of over 240,000kg. Those shipments were transported by ST. MARY ship to Tan Vu port area from the end of 2017, but so far no enterprises have come to do customs procedures.

Notably, regarding the situation of violations in the import of scrap, on 17/7/2018, the Anti-smuggling and Investigation Department (General Department of Vietnam Customs) issued the decision of prosecution for "Illegal transport of goods across borders" which refers to an enterprise also named Duc Dat and headquartered in Yen Khanh, Ninh Binh.

Specifically, the offending company was prosecuted by the customs authorities was the Duc Dat service trading import export Co, Ltd., (located in Yen Khanh district, Ninh Binh) for making fraudulent documents and vouchers in order to import 13,000 tons of plastic scrap.

In another occurrence, also on 17/7/2018, an investigation by Hai Phong Police issued a decision to prosecute a criminal case related to Duc Dat service trading import export Co, Ltd., due to the violation of "Illegal transportation of goods across borders". The prosecution of the case was made with the import declaration of goods done by this company at Hai Phong customs authorities.

It is known that after the process of verification and consolidating dossiers of the violations case of Duc Dat service trading import export Co, Ltd., Hai Phong Customs Department transferred the dossiers and documents to the Police Investigation Agency of Hai Phong City for further investigation and prosecution in accordance with the law.

Making fraudulent documents for importing scrap

Earlier, in mid-May of 2018, the Criminal Investigation Unit (Unit 7, Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department, General Department of Vietnam Customs) received dossiers and documents related to Duc Dat service trading import export Co, Ltd., from Risk Management Department (General Department of Vietnam Customs).

Through researching case dossiers and import & export data handed over by the Risk Management Department, Unit 7 noticed many unusual circumstances. In a short time from 7/1/2017 to 31/3/2018, Duc Dat service trading import export Co, Ltd., continuously registered 1,526 import declarations of plastic scrap at Customs Departments such as to: Hai Phong, HCM City and Ba Ria-Vung Tau; completed clearance procedures for 355 declarations. In that, there were 613 declarations at Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department (total weight of more than 12,000 tons, value declared more than 34 billion VND); there were 720 declarations at Hai Phong Customs Department, (weighing more than 30,000 tons, declared value of more than 35 billion VND) and at Ba Ria-Vung Tau Customs Department with 22 declarations (weight 498 tons, declared value was over 1 billion VND).

Particularly, those abnormal signs of importing scrap have also caught the attention of the Hai Phong Customs Department and the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department. Both units have detected violation signs by Duc Dat service trading import export Co, Ltd., and have conducted investigations for verification.

During the investigation process, Hai Phong Customs Department detected the certificate of eligibility for import of scrap materials as raw materials for production issued by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Ninh Binh province and the notification of imported scrap shipment for inspection and clearance were faked. Duc Dat service trading import export Co, Ltd., used those fraudulent documents to lodge to customs authorities for completing customs procedures. Shortly thereafter, Hai Phong Customs sent an official document to transfer case dossiers to the Police Investigation Agency - Hai Phong Police for handling the case as mentioned above.

Similarly, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department also discovered that Duc Dat service trading import export Co., Ltd has committed similar violations in the import of scrap in Hai Phong.

Regarding to the violation in the import of scrap, on 28/8/2018, the Anti-smuggling and Investigation Department has issued a decision to prosecute criminal case No. 15/QD-DTCBL on charges of "Illegal transportation of goods across border" caused by Hongviet Co, Ltd., (address in Ho Chi Minh City); The decision on the prosecution of criminal case No. 16/QD-DTCBL on "illegal transport of goods across the border" caused by Truong Thinh Company (located at Yen Khanh district, Ninh Binh). On the same day, after receiving the dossier from the customs authorities, the Police Investigation Agency under the Ministry of Public Security (C03) issued the prosecution proceedings against the 4 accused subjects related to the case.

Particularly, among detainees, Nguyen Duc Truong was the director of Duc Dat service trading import export Co, Ltd., with the violations of making fraudulent documents which was prosecuted by the Anti-smuggling and investigation Department and Hai Phong city police in July before as mentioned above.