Drugs and contraband smuggled into Vietnam across the southwest border

A truck transporting contraband was seized by An Giang Customs on May 9.

Using trucks and motorboats for transporting smuggled goods

After a lull when competent forces deployed many solutions to prevent and control the Covid-19 pandemic on the An Giang border, recently, Customs authorities discovered and seized many huge cases of illegal transport of goods across road borders.

Typically, illegal transport of goods on trucks which was discovered by the Tinh Bien Customs Department - An Giang Customs Department on May 9. According to An Giang Customs Department, the value of contraband shipment including cosmetics and consumer goods was estimated at more than VND 1 billion. An Giang Customs Department is currently considering prosecuting criminal cases.

Previously, on the night of May 7, a Cambodian person took advantage of the dark night to use a motorboat for illegally transporting more than 1 tonne of live pigs from Cambodia to Vietnam. This person was arrested by Vinh Hai Customs Branch – An Giang Customs Department in collaboration with the Border Defence force on the Song Tien border at Hamlet 5, Vinh Xuong Commune, Tan Chau Town, An Giang province.

According to An Giang Customs Department, to avoid competent authorities, smugglers often take advantage of the night to transport goods through sub-border areas and are ready to flee when chased. For example, to catch a motorboat transporting smuggled pigs as mentioned above, the working group had to use a specialised speedboat for chasing over many kilometres to catch it. The reason was that when smugglers discovered the competent force, the vehicle operator did not stop but sped up to run inland.

Most of smuggled goods was cosmetics

Drugs cross the river

Not only goods were smuggled, recently, illegal drug transportation on the southwest border has also been quite hot, when competent authorities seized many cases of transporting in large numbers. On the night of May 8, when the Border Post of Long Binh Border Gate (An Giang province) ambushed, they discovered a motorboat transporting in the Binh Di River area (belonging to Group 5, Tan Khanh Hamlet, Long Binh Town, An Phu, An Giang province).

Notably, subjects took advantage of the dark night to transport drugs through trails and open paths and were seized by competent forces inland. At the end of March and early April, the Drug-related crime investigation Police Division - Ho Chi Minh City Police discovered the illegal trading, transporting and storing of large quantities of narcotics from Cambodia through southwest provinces to HCM City for consumption. The subjects in this line transported about 20kg of meth, 10-20kg of ketamine and 10-20 thousand tablets of ecstasy each time.

After collecting all the evidence, on April 13, the Drug-related crime investigation Police Division (Ho Chi Minh City Police) in collaboration with the Drug-related crime investigation Police Department - Ministry of Public Security, District 8 Police, Binh Thanh Police and Tan Phu Police arrested four subjects in this line and seized 4.4 kg of meth; more than 71 thousand of tablets of ecstasy; 8.78 kg of Ketamine; over VND 1.5 billion, $6,000, 14,000 Bath, 13 mobile phones, two electronic scales, nine motorbikes, six digital video recorders and many devices for criminal activities.

With the indication about the situation of smuggling and illegal transport of narcotics across the border tending to be complicated, An Giang Customs Department is implementing many solutions to detect and promptly prevent violations.