Long nights preventing contraband

	Contraband goods hidden in shipments in transit
	Smuggled fireworks from border areas
	Lang Son province makes a strategic plan to prevent contraband shipments

Temporary shelters are established to prevent contraband

Preventing at border gates

On the first days of January 2019, at Lang Son border route, we were at Dong Dang, Van Lang (Lang Son)- where is considered as a “hot area” for transportation and trafficking of contraband every Lunar New Year.

Control 24/24 hours. Photo: H.N

Mr. Tran Van Hung, Head of Customs Enforcement Team of Coc Nam Customs Branch spoke to a Customs newspaper’s reporter about the many long nights for preventing contraband at the trail 386, because, from the present date to the Lunar New Year 2019, the smuggling and llegal transportation of goods, contraband, counterfeit goods and trade fraud, will take place complicatedly. Long nights for patrol are regular and continuous, but during this period the Customs force must undertake making more effort.

At night, the reporter and Customs officers of Coc Nam Customs Branch patrolled along the cold border route. The smuggling at Lang Son border gate is getting hotter. In order to prevent smuggling, many shelters were established for the Border Guard and Customs forces to perform their duties.

While walking ịn the cold weather, an officer of Coc Nam Customs Branch said that smuggling can take place at any time, and in any weather if the competent force is absent. The teams transporting contraband across the border gate are border residents. In free periods, residents do not have jobs and income, so they are easily bribed by heads of smugglers to illegally transport goods.

Leaving Coc Nam border gate, we continued to a patrol border route managed by Coc Nam Customs Branch. Although the border patrol road has been completed and put into use, there are dozens of trails and tracks that cause difficulties for the forces in preventing smuggling. In this area, the illegal import and transportation of consumer goods and firecrackers take place. During this peak period, with the support of the Border Guard Force, Tan Thanh Customs established temporary shelters at trails at the border gate. On average every 2-3 km, there is a shelter that was established for the forces to perform their duties. All officers must be on duty in these shelters at border gate routes.

For performing duties at trails in the Doi Cao area next to Tan Thanh Border Gate, the Deputy Head of Customs Enforcement Team, Mr. Hoang Van Trung said that “we are assigned to control here from the end of November to now, and the weather is very cold. Smugglers are very reckless. If they successfully transport contraband out of the control areas, it will be very dangerous. They are even ready to drive their motorbikes into the Customs force to escape. But we are determined to prevent them and not let them reach their goals”-Mr. Hoang Van Trung said.

Drastically protect border gate

Concerned about how to prevent the smuggling, Mr. Nguyen Bao Ngoc, Manager of Tan Thanh Customs Branch, Lang Son Customs Department said that although seeing smugglers transporting and gathering contraband at border areas, the Border Guard and Customs forces cannot do anything because that area is not in Vietnam’s territory. When receiving information on smugglers at border gates, the competent forces face immense difficulties due to these areas having complex terrains, and the smugglers are reckless when trying to transport contraband.

On the other side of the border landmark, contraband is gathered, waiting for being taken inland. However, due to the rugged terrain and many trails and the weak presence of forces and loopholes in anti-smuggling policies, the prevention of contraband transporting inland faces many difficulties.

In order to protect the border gates and prevent the transportation of contraband inland, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Bao said that the Customs force has strengthened with strict inspections and controls at the border, drastically handled cases of transportation of contraband and banned goods. This year we may welcome Lunar New Year at the border with our new determination.

Also, the Tan Thanh- Po Chai Specialized Highway is established on the basis of Vietnam’s agreement that has been completed with the Cambodian Government. When it is put into operation, it will meet requirements of import and export goods, and help competent agencies to strengthen the management of import and export goods, and facilitate quick clearance between the two countries. Also on this border, the Chinese Government has established the border protection fence. The fence is being built solidly in iron and concrete, about 4m high, and when it is completed, it will promote and maximize the prevention of immigration and illegal goods being transported across the two countries' borders.

Currently in targeted areas such as the Tan Thanh, Coc Nam, Huu Nghi border gate and the two sides of the border gate, the Border Guard-Customs forces are maintaining 13 fixed shelters for controlling and preventing smuggling day and night. In this period, the forces have added their officers and shelters to prevent smuggling.

Lang Son province makes a strategic plan to prevent contraband shipments VCN- The situation of trading and transporting smuggled goods, counterfeit goods, banned goods and trade fraud is ...

But it is not only the harsh weather that is so unpleasant, the forces must also face fierce resistance by the smugglers. Through a night’s patrolling with the forces, the reporter understood the hardship they endure in fighting against smuggling.