Customs forces seize 29,000 packs of smuggled cigarettes in Northeast Sea area

Smuggled cigarettes were seized by Fleet 1.

On the afternoon of November 26, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs said, at 5:45 PM, on November 25, at the co-ordinates 21⁰ 27. 788N/108⁰ 04. 520E belonging to the territorial waters of Vietnam, the Northern Customs Marine Enforcement Fleet (Fleet 1) - The Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department (General Department of Vietnam Customs) discovered three motorboats which were loading boxes, suspected to be cigarettes.

When detected, the smugglers on the three motorboats started their engines to escape. However, one boat did not move, the smugglers jumped to a high speed motorboat and escaped to the Chinese sea, leaving a motorboat with a Yamaha 85CV engine painted with Chinese characters and all goods.

Through inspection, the goods were found to be foreign cigarettes, with brands labeled on the box of packages including KTC, Lucky, Da Chien Men, Xiong Mao.

The total violated goods included 58 boxes of foreign cigarettes, equivalent to 29,000 packs, while the value of infringing goods was estimated at nearly VND 300 million.

The Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department has sealed the exhibits and made an initial record. At the same time, they escorted the vehicles and goods to anchor at the wharf of Fleet 1 in order to verify and handle in accordance with law.

Regarding smuggling in the Northeast Sea, the representative of the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department said that the smugglers used 2-4 boats with large capacity and took advantage of the night to transport infringing goods for smuggling into domestic markets.

The gathering area was frequently changed in order to avoid detection of competent forces or using small vessels camouflaged as fishing vessels and taking advantage of nights or heavy seas to transport foreign cigarettes, foreign wines and firecrackers into Vietnam.

The boats were designed to transport goods (mainly foreign cigarettes and alcohol) which were reinforced on both sides and had steel plating at the bow to ensure rigidity so that they could collide with the vehicles of competent forces, causing damage or sinking them without affecting the contraband vessel.

In particular, they were also equipped with modern maritime equipment (radar, navigation, electronic charts) to navigate in the waters which had complex terrain but it still could move due to the flat bottom design. Contraband vessels were equipped with high-capacity engines mainly orginating from countries with high production technology, such as Japan and the United States (boat of two machines with a speed of 40 knots/hour, and a boat of four machines with a speed of 50 knots/hour, boat of six machines with a speed of 60 knots/hour).

There were some pictures of the incident recently arrested by Customs force: