Smuggling cases decrease sharply but still have potential risks

Scene of the conference. Photo: Q.H

Smuggling tends to decrease

Presenting a report at the conference, Chief of the Standing Office of the National Steering Committee 389 Le Thanh Hai said that the results of anti-smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods prevention in the first six months of 2022 decreased sharply (more than 25% compared to the same period in 2021), many cases have been detected by law enforcement agencies and handled in a timely and strict manner.

It created deterrence and contributed to market stability, protecting the legitimate interests of consumers and credible businesses, ensuring security and promoting social economic development.

Smugglers tend to take advantage of legal entities and openness from the stage of establishment, management of enterprises, signing of commercial contracts, customs declaration, customs clearance and post-clearance audit for smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeiting.

Various infringing items included equipment, medical supplies, medicines, consumer goods, frozen food products (in the areas of Quang Ninh, Lang Son, Cao Bang, and Lao Cai); cigarettes, alcohol, beer, sugar, milk, groceries, cosmetics, fertilizers, pesticide (in the areas of Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Kon Tum); used goods, pharmaceuticals, sugar, cigarettes, gold, foreign currency (Tay Ninh, Binh Phuoc, Long An, An Giang, Kien Giang, Dong Thap); banned goods such as drugs, firecrackers, and rare wild animals (Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, Dien Bien, Son La).

Local governments of cities and provinces participate the conference. Photo: Q.H

On sea routes, smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods were complicated in Ho Chi Minh City. smugglers intentionally failed to declare, declared incorrect quantity, value, types and origin of goods in order to export and import banned goods, consumer goods, counterfeit goods, and goods infringing intellectual property.

In the Northeastern, Central and Southwestern seas, the methods and tricks of the entities were sophisticated, tightly organized, and equipped with modern vehicles and equipment. They use e-commerce platforms, radar, and locator devices, taking advantage of the bordering waters, demarcation lines, changing designs, names, vehicle numbers, and routes in order to deal with competent forces.

The prominent infringing goods are drugs, petroleum, coal, minerals, aquatic products, electronic goods, refrigeration, cosmetics, supplementary foods, and frozen goods.

On international air and postal routes, especially at international airports (Noi Bai, Hanoi; Tan Son Nhat, Ho Chi Minh City), smugglers focused on various types of high-value goods and those that are easy to hide such as drugs, cigarettes, cigars, rare wildlife products, gold, foreign currency, electronic equipment, mobile phones, cosmetics, supplementary foods, medicines, items of equipment, medical supplies for Covid-19 pandemic prevention. They hide inside luggage, postal parcels or send goods as gifts from abroad to Vietnam for consumption.

In the country, the development of e-commerce activities entails taking advantage of the e-commerce environment, websites, social networks, online sales applications, express delivery services, postal services, etc. to smuggle, commit trade fraud and trade fake goods. This was also an area where competent forces faced many difficulties in controlling, detecting and handling the cases.

Hit the instigators

To effectively carry out the fight against smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods in the future, the National Steering Committee 389 requested the Steering Committees 389 of ministries, sectors and localities to continue to thoroughly understand and implement resolutions, directives, programs, plans and guiding documents of the Government, the Prime Minister, the National Steering Committee 389, especially on combating smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods of cigarettes, sugar, petrol, biological products, equipment and medical supplies.

HCM City Customs inspects import and export goods, promptly fights to prevent contraband. Photo: T.H

The Steering Committees 389 of ministries, sectors and competent forces should base on their assigned functions and tasks to proactively grasp the situation, develop and implement plans for inspection, detection and handling; gathering forces and vehicles, and using measures to hit the right target and instigators for deterrence and prevention.

Furthermore, the units should review and summarize plans issued by the Steering Committee, terminate the expired and ineffective plans, and develop and promulgate a new thematic plan that is appropriate to the new situation.

Continuing to review difficulties and obstacles in legal regulations and mechanisms to propose amendments, supplements and replacements, perfecting the institutions to improve the effectiveness of anti-smuggling and trade fraud work.

Besides that, strengthening coordination between competent forces, exploiting and sharing available information and data to serve common goals in the fight against smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods; increasing the frequency and diversity of communication forms, and ensuring the content and quality of dissemination.