Smuggling is still "hot" on the routes

The Customs force coordinate to inspect ivory transported via air in April, 2016. Photo: Q.H

Violation cases increased

It can be said that the situation of smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods has always been paid special attention by the Prime Minister, leaders of ministries, sectors and localities. A series of guiding documents issued by the National Steering Committee 389 were concretized by the member forces such as Customs, Border Protection, Police, Market Management and the Coast Guard through handling of hundreds of thousands of cases. Specifically, the number of cases arising, and the revenue contributed to the State budget through this work in one year is always higher than the previous year.

For example, in 2016, the National Steering Committee 389, ministries, sectors and localities directed the functional forces at all levels to detect and handle 211,559 violations (up 2.55%); collected and contributed 18,082 billion vnd (up by 33.57% compared to 2015) to the State budget from administrative violations, sale of confiscated goods and audit, inspection and tax arrears and prosecuted 1,560 cases with 1,863 offenders.

Through the handling of the functional forces showed that smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods are taking place at the border routes: road border, sea border, air and inland. The activities of the perpetrators are also more sophisticated with many new methods and tricks, and closely organized. The illegal goods are also quite diversified, and focus on groups of prohibited goods, goods with high tax rate, and infringing goods in intellectual property rights, and consumer goods.

At the road border areas of the provinces in the North and Central North region, and the South West are still frequent areas of smuggling and illegal goods crossing the border. The Northern border includes provinces: Dien Bien, Lao Cai, Cao Bang, Lang Son, Quang Ninh, and the borders of the North Central region include: Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Tri. All kinds of banned goods such as drugs, explosives, fireworks or consumer goods: foreign alcohol, foreign cigarettes, beverages, sugar, cosmetics, food, supplemental foods are always smuggled by perpetrators.

In order to transport successfully the smuggled goods, the smugglers transport goods in the trails, sub paths, canals and streams of the border, then hide on trucks and coaches which are remodeled with partitions and secret holds to transport inland. Emerging on the railroad route, the perpetrators load the smuggled goods on the train, then mixed in the luggage compartment of passengers to transport inland. In the process of loading and discharge and transporting goods on the this route, smugglers usually arrange monitor, supervisor and informer and even mobilize extremists to deliberately obstruct and make trouble to rob the goods and rescue for their accomplices inspected and arrested by the authorized forces.

Not only is the complicated issue on the road route, and inland, the situation of counterfeit, imitation, poor quality goods, intellectual property infringement focuses mainly on garments, electrical products, household goods, consumer goods, supplemental foods, fertilizers, plant protection and chemical, etc are still taking place.

Not only are counterfeit goods illegally transported into Vietnam, but some domestic facilities also secretly process, package, and even directly manufacture the counterfeit. The smugglers also buy cheap goods, semi-finished goods, and unknown quality, origin and packaging, imitated labels with famous trademark, then package in handmade or use rudimentary machines to process and mix and label and supply to the markets. In order to deceive consumers, counterfeit products are sold blended with authentic products, and a small portion of them are transported to remote areas for consumption causing harm for human health and affect to business and production of the true enterprises.

Need for drastic measures from ministries, sectors and localities

In the face of the number of smuggling and trade fraud and counterfeit activities increasing year by year, there have been drastic measures of the entire political system, clearly showing the role of directing and managing National Steering Committee 389 and ministries, sectors and localities. In particular, the administrations at all levels and authorized forces at units need to promote inspection and control in key border cities, towns, wards, communes and districts; and road borders, seaports, and air.

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And closely monitor the actual situation, clearly identify routes, regions, and areas, and actively set up plans to focus on the methods and tricks of perpetrators, commodity groups as well as proposed solutions, measures to fight; Allocate and assign tasks to sub-administrations and authorized forces which directly manage the areas toward increasing the number of inspections and controls, and detect, arrest administrative and criminal cases. At the same time, the ministries and localities need to focus on inspecting, examining and fighting to strongly and closely inspect banned commodity groups and high tax goods; fake goods, imitation and poor quality goods affecting the health of people and production and environment.

The Ministry of Finance directs the General Department of Vietnam Customs to regularly urge and instruct operational units and the local Customs forces to closely monitor the situation and strengthen the inspection and supervision strictly in border areas: Roads, seaports, airports, post offices to handle smuggling and trade fraud in a timely fashion. Customs forces closely coordinate with the Border guard and Coast guard forces in patrolling and inspecting in the land and sea borders; actively set up and implement the thematic plans to fight the key commodities.