“Ghost” enterprise exporting scrap camouflaged as foodstuffs?

Six containers of aluminum scraps disgusted as foodstuffs

According to the Southern anti-smuggling enforcement unit (Unit 3) – Anti-smuggling and Investigation Department – General Department of Vietnam Customs, expanding the investigation of Nghia Phat agriculture business Co., Ltd. exporting illegally through Cat Lai port, this unit detected the enterprise is not operated at its registered business address (No. 136/4 Le Loi, Hoc Mon District, HCM City).

Local police said that there is no Nghia Phat Agricultural Business Co., Ltd. registered to operate in the area. At the above address is a house. The house owner said that there was no business at this address. It was likely that this was a "ghost" business.

Previously, on August 20, Unit 3 worked with the Saigon Port Area 1 Customs Branch to inspect six containers of goods exported to South Korea, and discovered that they were full of scrap.

According to the dossier, the shipment was opened for declaration by Nghia Phat Agricultural Business Co., Ltd. They declared the export goods included six containers of foodstuff with the export duty rate of 0%.

Detecting suspicious signs of the shipment, Unit 3 worked with the Saigon port area 1 Customs Branch to stop clearance and conduct a physical inspection. As a result, all of the goods in the six containers were scrap which was beer cans, soft drinks were moulded and not foodstuff as declared by the enterprise.

Initially, customs authority determined the total volume of goods contained in the container was about 60 tonnes. Aluminum scrap has an export duty rate of 25%.