Simultaneously opening the anti-smuggling wave at the end of year

The side view of online talkshow. Photo: Q.H

The result is published in the online discussion with the topic “Anti-smuggling – measures need to be strong and more aggressive” held by Vietnam Government Web Portal and the Permanent Office of National Steering Committee 389 in Hanoi.

Smuggling occurred in every route

Mr. Đàm Thanh Thế, Chief of the Permanent Office of National Steering Committee 389, said that, the smuggling situation happens in every route, North – Central – and South. The North border is prominent in drugs and electronics, the South border is prominent in tobacco, sugar and wild animals.

In the first 10 months of 2016, the functional forces nationwide discovered and handled 172,000 smuggling cases, commercial fraud and counterfeiting which is an increase of 2% compared to the same period in 2015. Collecting arrears 13,000 billion VND to State Budget. This result shows the drastic direction of functional forces, Ministries and local authorities in anti-smuggling, commercial fraud and counterfeiting hence it contributes to economic development and ensures consumers safety.

Agreeing with this view, Mr. Đồng Đại Lộc, Deputy Director General of Police (Police Department) said that the activities of smuggling, commercial fraud and counterfeiting are very complicated, including contraband cigarettes. The functional forces have worked effectively. In particular, the police force detected 4,000 smuggled cigarette shipments annually, seized 9 million packs of cigarettes. This activity took place in the 3 routes of Quang Ninh, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Tay Ninh, Dong Thap, An Giang.

Cigarette smuggling formed a line from overseas into Vietnam with the connection with domestic smuglers. Taking advantage of the terrain border with rivers tracks and trails, the contraband cigarettes are gathered across the border, then shipped to Vietnam as small shipments and to large centres, especially in the south at HCMC and in the north at Hanoi. When the functional forces detected the smuggling activities, the smugglers were often uncontrollable and willing to fight back in order to escape the authorities and to steal goods.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Bac, Deputy Director of the Anti-drug offenses (the High Command of Border Guard) said the border guard force implements drastic direction of the Government in the fight against smuggling.

In particular, the whole force has strengthened border protection patrols in key areas, spots where smuggling often occurs; and enhance the professional activities of basic investigations to detect and dismantle. On the border, Border Guard forces enhanced the coordination with other forces such as Customs and police in order to create synergy, as well as advising the local government, propaganda to the masses to not abet smuggling activities.

Specifically, the High Command of the Border Guard has issued a plan No 964 to mobilize the forces to struggle against cigarette smuggling activities across the border.

As a result, the number of perpetrators being detected and arrested has reduced and increased the number of exhibits. Many large shippers have been arrested; the number of exhibits seized up to tens of thousands of cigarette packs.

The peak of anti-smuggling in the end of year

As a prediction following the pattern of previous years, during and after the 2017 Tet Dinh Dau, the demand of commodities will increase so it would lead to the smuggling situation continuing to occur. To prevent radical activity, Mr.Nguyen Xuan Bac emphasized: “we must fight against smuggling from the root, which is built on the struggle along the entire border. Border forces continue to implement measures to closely manage the border, assigned to each Border Station, mobilizing patrols of the border, ensuring tight border security. Strictly implement the content of memoranda signed with functional forces in neighbouring countries.”

"Anti-smuggling must have clean hands, Heads of units at smuggling hotspots must be responsible before the law", said Nguyen Xuan Bac .

Mr. Dong Dai Loc stressed that “in the last months, the police force and peak organizations struggle with each type of crime, including smuggling. For peak efficiency, the police force must investigate the basic organization and specialized construction projects online fighting in each locality, speeding up the cases which the police force prosecutes, especially expanding identification of additional stakeholders.”