Customs drastically combats smuggling, tax evasion and fraud from early in the year

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Deputy Director General of Vietnam Customs Luu Manh Tuong addresses the virtual conference. Photo: Thai Binh

Prosecuting 11 cases

At the virtual conference, Deputy Director of the Anti-smuggling and Investigation Department Nguyen Van Hoan said smuggling, trade fraud and illegal transportation of goods by land, air, sea, water, international seaports, postal and express delivery services in 2021 did not increase.

The main reason is due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, which disrupted the supply chain of goods, and neighboring countries strengthened measures for pandemic prevention and control such as strict inspection and control for goods, people and means of transport across border gates.

However, some suspects took advantage of policies on trade facilitation and supporting enterprises amid the public health crisis to implement smuggling, trade fraud and illegal transportation of goods across border gates.

The Anti-smuggling and Investigation Department has followed the direction of the Government, the National Steering Committee 389, the Steering 138/CP, the Ministry of Finance, the General Department of Vietnam Customs, and provided effective and flexible solutions in line with the disease situation and the development of the domestic and international economy, and achieved remarkable results.

The department has handled 256 violations with infringing goods of VND256,232 billion, and contributed about VND9.8 billion to the State budget, transferred violations to other competent agencies for handling and collected over VND316 million.

Notably, the department investigated and issued 11 decisions to prosecute criminal cases, transferred eight cases to the Police to investigate and proposed prosecution.

In addition, the department advised leaders of the General Department of Vietnam Customs and issued 29 decisions on sanctioning administrative violations. Eleven decisions were issued by the department’s leadership and 15 decisions were issued by the teams’ leaders with the total amount of fines of VND5 billion.

The department transferred two cases to the People's Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province and the Coast Guard Command to handle violations with total fines of more than VND632 million.

Director of the Anti-smuggling and Investigation Department Nguyen Hung Anh received the direction of the GDVC’s leader. Photo: Thai Binh

According to Director of the Anti-smuggling and Investigation Department Nguyen Hung Anh, the department will continue to grasp the situation and combat smuggling; innovate thinking and methods in customs control; arrange human resources to effectively prevent smuggling; strengthen and tighten public discipline and regulations.

Closely grasp the situation in customs control area

At the conference, Deputy Director General Luu Manh Tuong recorded and appreciated the department’s achievements in 2021.

Although the department has faced difficulties and challenges in the previous year, the department’s officers made great efforts to accomplish tasks, said the Deputy Director General.

In addition, the Deputy Director General requested the department to effectively perform anti-smuggling work from early in the year, including key tasks such as continuing to advise the leaders of the General Department of Vietnam Customs in directing and administering the anti-smuggling work across the whole sector.

The department was required to make plans to assist the leaders of the Ministry of Finance and the country’s top customs authority in performing the duties as the Standing Office of the 389 National Steering Committee.

Overview of the virtual conference. Photo: T.Binh.

The Deputy Director General said that the department needs to effectively fight tax fraud and evasion, violations related to origin fraud, intellectual property and illegal transshipment.

In addition, the department needs to analysis and evaluate information to combat new violation methods and tricks, especially offenses related to the regime of export production processing, investment, transit, temporary import for re-export, requested the Deputy Director General.

The drug prevention and control work still has many potential risks and complicated developments. In order to fight this effectively, the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department needs to make a plan in accordance with available resources to achieve the highest efficiency.

The department needs to comprehensively execute professional measures to control border gates and customs control area. The department also needs to mobilise resources to inspect and handle violations in the import and export of precursors.

At the conference, the Deputy Director General also suggested many specific solutions for each unit under the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department.