HCM Customs discover smuggled and dismantled used car

spare parts and machinery of used car were detected by HCM Customs on 8/11. Photo: TH

On 8/11, at Cat Lai port, the Customs Enforcement Unit (HCM City Customs Department) chaired to coordinated with the Customs Enforcement Team – Saigon port area 1 Customs Branch for inspecting an imported container shipment, and discovered it contained a used car’s spare parts and machinery.

This shipment was opened for import declaration by Sun Flower Transport Delivery Co, Ltd., (address in 275/13/38, Ha Huy Giap Street, District 12, HCM City). They declared goods as used hydraulic engine and steel bearing cables.

Through the physical inspection, the Customs authority detected the whole 40 feet container was full of spare parts and machinery of a used car. The front of the container was camouflaged by 2 steel cable coils.

According to the Customs News reporter's observations in the field showed that the spare parts, components and car engine were very old, and were severely rusted.

components and car engine were very old, and were severely rusted.

Directing the inspection at the scene, Mr. Phan Manh Lan, Head of the Customs Enforcement Team of the HCM City Customs Department, said that except for two reels of cables, the spare parts, components and machinery of the car in the container were items in the list stipulated as prohibited import items.

According to the leaders of the Customs Enforcement Team, through the observation of evidence at the scene, it showed that the tricks of the subjects were very sophisticated. The components and machinery also showed that this was likely to be a used passenger car that was cut up for transporting to Vietnam.

It is known that Sun Flower Transport Delivery Co, Ltd., has opened two customs declarations, but they did not come to implement the procedure for receiving goods. Currently, the company is no longer operating at the registered business address.

At present, the shipment is being held for inspection and continues investigating for clarification.

According to Mr. Phan Manh Lan, the case was in the project, "Fighting smuggling and trade fraud of the backlogged shipments in the seaport of Ho Chi Minh City having signs of law violation", directed by the leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department. This project is being continuously deployed by the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department.