How was the shipment of nearly 1,400 tons of scrap of Vinh Thanh Company imported illegaly?

Container filled with unfit plastic scrap that were seized by Hai Phong Customs in 2018.

The Anti-smuggling and Investigation Department (General Department of Vietnam Customs) recently prosecuted a criminal case on transporting illegally goods cross border which happened in Hung Yen province by Vinh Thanh company.

Vinh Thanh JSC (tax code: 0900280416 and located at Pho Noi Textie and Garment Industrial Park, Nghia Hiep Commune, Yen My District, Hung Yen Province) was granted certificates of eligibility for environmental protection in importing scrap as raw materials for production by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Hung Yen province.

According to the Circular No. 41/2015/TT-BTNMT dated September 9, 2015 of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the certificate of eligibility for scrap import and the document of Notification of imported scrap shipments for inspection and clearance issued by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment are mandatory documents that the Company must submit in the customs dossier to carry out import procedures and clearance procedures for imported plastic scrap shipments.

Through investigation, Customs authorities determined Vinh Thanh Joint Stock Company used fake papers to illegally import scrap into Vietnam through Hai Phong port in 2016.

Specifically, the Company adjusted the number of 11 Notification Papers then submitted them to the customs authorities to implement clearance procedures for 17 plastic scrap shipments. Those notices have the same number and date of issuance with Notification Papers issued by Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Hung Yen province. However, the amount of scrap to import was inccorected compared with the number on the Notification issued by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Hung Yen province.

The amount of illegally imported scrap related to 11 papers as mentioned above was 672.71 tonnes of plastic scraps, the customs declaration value was nearly 1.7 billion VND.

This company also committed acts of reusing four notification papers in order to submit to customs authorities for clearing 22 shipments, exceeding the number of 375.38 tonnes of plastic waste that allowed to import. The customs value was nearly 1 billion VND.

More seriously, Vinh Thanh Company also forged five notification papers to illegally import five shipments ofplasticscrap, with the amount of 327.35 tonnes, the customs declaration value was nearly 740 million VND.

Thus, Vinh Thanh Company used fake papers and documents to illegally import 1,000.06 tonnes of plastic scap with the customs declaration value more than 2.4 billionVND.

While reusing the Notification of Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Hung Yen Province, the Company imported the exceed amountof 375.38 tonnes of plastic waste with the customs declaration value of nearly 1 billion VND as mentioned above.

The total amount of scrap imported illegally by Vinh Thanh Company was nearly 1,400 tonnes, with total value of declaration more than 3 billion VND.

According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, on June 5, the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department issued Decision No. 07/QD-DTCBL to prosecute a criminal case on illegal transport of goods across borders occurring in the Hung Yenprovince.

On June 6, the People's Procuracy of Vietnam issued Decision No. 28/QD-VKS-V3 transfering the criminal case to the Investigation Police Department - Hung Yen Provincial Police to investigate.

On June 11, the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department handed over all case dossiers to the Investigation Police Department (Hung Yen Police Department).