Inspect dozens of enterprises importing Asanzo-branded products and components

	Sa Huynh company to be prosecuted for importing ovens
	The case of Asanzo: Customs already inspected 27 partner enterprises
	Detecting many cases of importing Chinese goods concealed origin

ASANZO oven imported from China with warranty certificates written in Vietnamese. Photo: T.H.

Counterfeiting import records

The results of the investigation by customs authorities show all signatures on the above-mentioned documents of import consignments are fake. Therefore, after prosecuting the "smuggling" case for Sa Huynh Trading and Production Company, the Investigation Police Department - Police of Ho Chi Minh City will clarify the subjects of counterfeiting records.

According to the case file, in September 2018, Sa Huynh Trading and Production Company made a customs declaration at the Saigon Port Customs Branch of HCM City, declaring the import of the shipment as components of glass ovens, including plastic lids, glass ovens, oven timer, 100 percent new products, made in China. Goods value was more than 212 million VND.

Detecting a suspicious shipment, Customs Control Team - Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department made a decision to examine and coordinate with the Sai Gon Sea Port Customs Branch Zone 4 to carry out the examination of vehicles and goods. Through the examination of imported containers, the Customs Department found all goods including 1,300 fully-assembled ovens branded Asanzo, 100 percent new, but do not represent origin. Besides, there are also warranty certificates written in Vietnamese in carton box: "Asanzo-the Advanced Japanese Technology" with hotline number 18001035. However, enterprises did not declare this information.

According to a leader of the Customs Control Team, the above-mentioned imported goods are in complete form, which is subject to State inspection of quality. However, the company declared as an imported component to avoid State inspection of quality. In addition, if importing in complete units, when being put into the market, it must show the origin of the goods as China on the packaging and labels. Explaining about the false declaration, Sa Huynh blamed its partner for sending the wrong goods.

Expanding the investigation, the Customs discovered Sa Huynh was licensed by the Department of Planning and Investment of Ho Chi Minh City in July 2018, and the legal representative was Huynh Thi Sa Quol. However, through verification, the Customs Control Team discovered that it is a "ghost" company which was established to illegally import goods, the business director is not real and all signatures on file are fake. Truong Ngoc Liem, 1982, residing in Ho Chi Minh City, is the legal representative for Sa Huynh after changing the certificate of business registration. He admitted that the company had used Quol’s identity card to conduct business registration procedures. His subordinate allegedly forged Quol’s signature in legal documents.

14 ASANZO importers fled

Not only has the above case, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department determined many enterprises importing ASANZO goods had shut down.

According to Ho Chi Minh City Department of Customs, following the direction of the General Department of Customs, it issued a decision on post-clearance inspection for 14 firms suspected of importing Asanzo-branded products and components.

After issuing 14 decisions on post-clearance inspection, the Post-clearance Inspection Sub-department found these firms had either shut down or their addresses were fake. Police and local authorities have confirmed this to Customs authorities.

Therefore, the Customs office cannot carry out post-clearance inspection to clarify fraud and tax evasion of these enterprises. The Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department has transferred documents of the 14 firms and other enterprises importing ASANZO-branded products to the Police Department to investigate and clarify.

After prosecuting the criminal case, the Police Investigation Department - Police Department of Ho Chi Minh City will inspect who hides Sa Huynh Trading Production Company to import counterfeit goods. Currently, the Customs Department of Ho Chi Minh City is continuing to coordinate with the Market Management Department, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Taxation and Department of Planning and Investment to clarify the activities of enterprises importing Asanzo-branded products and components. In particular, Ho Chi Minh City Tax Department is requested to inspect and provide information on tax finalization reports at the Tax Department or at the Sub-Departments of Taxation. When the enterprise reports its tax finalisation (for three years 2016, 2017 and 2018): is the product declared with the tax office as a complete product of ASANZO brand or components? And how was the export of VAT invoices made?