Ba Ria - Vung Tau: Risk of smuggling, trade frauds from goods in transit and goods transported from port to port

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Continuously detect violations

According to Cai Mep Border Gate Customs Branch, from the end of 2016 until now, the Branch has detected and handled 18 violation cases, of which 11 cases were goods in transit and goods transported from port to port, and 8 cases were in 2017. In 2018, the unit also discovered 2 transportation cases of prohibited goods and goods subject to licensing by a competent authority. In early 2019, the unit also discovered a violation of goods in transit.

The infringing goods were mainly prohibited goods, goods subject to licensing by a competent authority, and goods with wrong declaration of quantity and types. The discovered violations were in large quantities and infringing goods were mainly used electronic and refrigeration goods subject to the list of goods banned from import. Most recently, on January 9, 2019, Cai Mep Port Border Gate Customs Branch detected a violation case of goods in transit which were wrongfully declared in name, quantity and type and were on the list of goods subject to licensing by a competent authority but without a license, with the infringing goods of 1,200 watches and many other goods.

Earlier, on May 31, 2018, Cai Mep port gate Customs Branch had also discovered a case of goods in transit with the same acts of violations, and the infringing goods were 282 used loudspeakers and 6 amplifiers. On March 21, 2018, the Branch discovered a container of goods in transit as used electronic goods in large quantity. On March 8, 2018, the Branch also discovered a transit container of Hoyer Transport Vietnam Co., Ltd., filled with used goods which were ineligible for transit including about 300 loudspeakers and amplifiers under preliminary statistics.

Commenting on this situation, Mr. Nguyen Van Danh, Manager of Cai Mep Port Border Gate Customs Branch said that the violations through goods in transit and goods transported from port to port in the area has been complicated due to the huge volume of goods in transit and goods transported from port to port via Cai Mep - Thi Vai port area, averaging about 3 million teus / year. Meanwhile, the unit now does not have a container scanner yet, the control and prevention mainly depends on exploiting information via e-manifest and detecting something suspicious, and then conducting the physical inspection of goods.

Facing the above situation, in order to deter the offenders and prevent infringing goods through the port, Cai Mep Port Customs Branch has regularly directed its subordinate units to be vigilant and take measures to investigate, study and cover every situation. The teams often cooperate together to check e-manifest for goods in transit, goods transported from port to port and organize patrols, control, record and collect information and oversee the situation according to the plans of the Branch and Department.

At the same time, the Branch also regularly coordinates with competent forces in the area such as Border Guard, Port Authority and Port operators to grasp the situation, promptly detect and handle arising violations and coordinates with the Customs Control Team and the port control group of the Ba Ria - Vung Tau Customs Department to inspect suspicious shipments, thereby promptly detecting violations. Typically, only in April 2017, through physical inspection for suspicious shipments, Cai Mep Port Customs Department has continuously detected 6 violations in very large quantities of used electronic and refrigeration products subject to the list of goods banned from import, in containers of goods in transit and goods transported from port to port.

Many goods ineligible for transit are still transported in containers of goods in transit.

Potential risks

According to Ba Ria-Vung Tau Customs Department, smuggling in the province has been complicated in recent years. In particular, smugglers have used many new tricks. Specifically, for goods transported from port to port and goods transported from border gate to border gate, smugglers abuse the facilitation in establishing enterprises to set up many enterprises to commit acts of smuggling and trade fraud. When detecting violations, the customs agency expands the investigation and verification and discovers that enterprises do not operate at registered business addresses. Smugglers also take advantage of fake documents and identity cards to establish many enterprises (with the same address), then use these legal entities to commit acts of smuggling and trade fraud. In particular, smugglers also take advantage of the regulations on refusal to receive goods for the reason of mistake or re-export, change of the consignee on the manifest to evade the Customs control. When the Customs agency verifies and collects information and documents related to the shipment for handling, some shipping lines have not been enthusiastic in cooperating. This is really the biggest difficulty, hindering the handling of violations by customs agency.

Notably, when the Customs agency conducted an examination or invited enterprises to witness, but the enterprises did not come or respond. After that, these enterprises come to the Customs office to ask for changing name of goods and name of consignee on manifest, and changing Customs regime from import for business into transit. However, when there are many abnormal signs in the amendments to the above import dossiers, the unit has refused the amendments to the manifest, and continued to inspect and monitor and expand inspection and clarify violations of these enterprises.

For goods in transit and transhipment, offenders also take advantage of facilitating regulations in customs procedures to commit acts of smuggling, especially taking advantage of the transport of goods from entry border gates to exit border gates to illegally import goods to Vietnam.

Facing the above situation, the Department's leadership has directed units to strengthen patrols and control work to promptly detect, prevent and handle smuggling and illegal cross-border transportation of goods and infringing goods. At the same time, the Department also requires port border-gate Customs Branches to patrol, control and supervise warehouses and yards of imported and exported goods, bonded warehouses, and import and export goods inspection sites at warehouses of enterprises; boats and ships in loading and unloading goods transported by barges on the river, routes of internal transportation from ports of discharge to destination ports, imported goods under permits, conditional imported goods, goods in transit, goods in independent transport, temporary import for re-export and shipments from Africa.

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In 2019, it is forecasted that the situation of smuggling, illegal transportation of goods shall be more complicated. Ba Ria - Vung Tau Customs Department said, in addition to measures to strengthen the combat against smuggling, the Department will strengthen inspection and control of goods in transit through road border-gates, goods transported to destination ports stated in bills of lading such as Cat Lai, Binh Duong, and imported goods subject to Customs regimes A11 and A12 in order to strictly control and timely detect and handle cases of smuggling and trade frauds.