Remodeled vehicles transporting smuggled goods still an issue

The remodeled car was seized by the Customs in June, 2016 (Photo provided by C47 force)

According to the Police Department of Anti- crime of Smuggling, Ministry of Public Security (C47), smuggling, commercial fraud, and illegal transport of goods across borders have taken place particularly at road border crossings, mostly at Northern province border gates such as Lang Son province and Quang Ninh province.

Notably, when smuggling goods across the border, smugglers use trucks and remodeled passenger cars for transporting into provinces and cities such as Ha Noi, neighboring provinces (Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, Hai Duong). The use of the remodeled passenger cars trafficking goods without invoices and other documents has been happening for many years but has not been addressed strictly by the functional forces at the border gate. These cases have been found when the functional forces have closely-co-operated, from the border gate to inland.

After some long term secret reconnaissance, C47 force co-operated with the management and Police of a number of provinces to implement planning of arrests. In June, functional forces organized and seized tens of tons of goods being transported without invoices and other documents. In some cases, the functional forces found the technique of using remodeled passenger cars for illegal cargo trafficking.

Recently, a case of transportation of 20 tons of smuggling goods without invoices and other documents by car with Licence plate No.15B-01003 were seized by the Traffic Police Department (Ministry of Public Security) and the Police of Que Vo District (Bac Ninh province). The cargoes were being trafficked from the border areas of Quang Ninh for domestic consumption, included 2,500 fake Longines, Omegas, Rado watches and many spare parts, secondhand technology and cosmetics. Total value of goods as above totaled 5 billion vnd .

According to the functional forces, the vehicles used are passenger cars taken apart to transform the type of transporting. Goods were put on the floor of the cars, also hidden in 20 secret compartments such as: spaces underneath, and in roofing of the cars.

The goods were stashed with sophisticated techniques and difficult to detect by eye. To open and close these compartmentss, the smugglers used a safety lock system operated by steam and hydraulics.

Because of driver’s non-compliance, functional forces had to mobilize iron cutting, drilling, cutting torch machines. To complete the examination of vehicles, dozens of officers and soldiers had to work continuously for 2 days.

According to the acknowledge of the Customs newspaper’s correspondent, from the end of 2014 and 2015, Customs forces discovered and seized remodeled passenger cars transporting goods without valid documents many times.

The majority of the violation were arrested by Customs forces for movements from the border area of Quang Ninh, Lang Son province inland. These remodeled passenger cars usually travel in convoys.

The passenger remodeled car transport smuggling goods was seized by Customs force (July,2015). Photo: Q.H

Customs forces have to monitor the real situation at the local area, the movement of smugglers at the border gate area and closely-cooperate with the Police forces, and Market management forces of inland provinces such as: Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Hai Duong, Hung Yen for arresting. Being arrested suddenly, the perpetrators didn’t have enough time to hide goods as well as they submitted fake invoices, documents to avoid attention of the functional force.

According to the proposal of forces as Customs, Police, Market management to strictly handle that situation need to terminate of trafficking by out of date vehicles, especially taking advantage of remodeled passenger cars to transport illegal goods. This responsibility belongs to the management authorities is Vietnam Registry Department (Ministry of Transport) which receives and handles the dossiers of out of date vehicles application for registration.