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. The meeting. Photo: T. Binh

1,635 cases prosecuted

On the morning of October 24, the Standing Office of the 389 National Steering Committee held a meeting to implement tasks for the fourth quarter of 2019.

Deputy Minister of Finance Vu Thi Mai, Member of the 389 National Steering Committee, chaired the meeting.

Attending the meeting were the members of the Steering Committee: Director General of Customs Nguyen Van Can; Chief of the Standing Office of the 389 National Steering Committee Dam Thanh The and representatives of competent ministries and agencies.

Speaking at the meeting, Dam Thanh The said: “The activities of smuggling, trade fraud and fake goods throughout the country are still complicated. In particular, illegal transportation of drugs; factory lease for drug production; trading of goods made in foreign countries, fake goods, counterfeit goods with forged origin and labels "Made in Vietnam" for trade fraud, making budget revenue losses, hampering Vietnamese enterprises and consumers.”

Under the drastic guidance of the Government, the Prime Minister, the 389 National Steering Committee, competent units and local governments have adopted many measures to fight and achieve positive results in the third quarter of the year.

Typically, on the border and land border gate, forces seized nearly 13 tons of firecrackers illegally transported across the border in Lang Son (on September 5); Quang Tri Border Guards destroyed an illegal cross-border transportation of drugs, arrested two Lao offenders and seized 215,000 synthetic drugs (on October 4)

At airports and international post offices, the illegal transportation and trafficking of drugs takes place. On August 7, at Tan Son Nhat International Airport (Ho Chi Minh City), the competent forces inspected a foreign man and found 77 tablets and about 1.555kg of cocaine in his abdomen.

On sea routes and seaport, on October 4, in the Ba Ria-Vung Tau sea area, the Coast Guard inspected Thanh Chau ship which was carrying about 500,000 liters of DO oil without invoices or vouchers of origin.

In the domestic market, the trading, production and transportation of non-origin, counterfeit goods, poor quality goods and goods infringing intellectual property rights is increasing throughout the country, especially in urban areas. In early August, the Investigation Police Department on Drug-related Crimes C04 (Ministry of Public Security) discovered a group of eight Chinese people renting a workshop in Kon Tum province to illegally produce drugs and seized more 13 tons of precursor chemicals and 20 tons of machinery and equipment.

"If the production is successful, about 1 ton of methamphetamine will be made," said Dam Thanh The.

Director General of Customs Nguyen Van Can spoke at the meeting. Photo: T. Binh.

Clarify responsibilities

Discussing measures on combat smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods and illegal transportation of goods in the fourth quarter, especially in the peak period before, during and after Lunar New Year 2020, representatives from competent units said that geographical areas, fields and commodities at risk of violations are no longer as narrow as before, but spreading across the country, from the border gates on land, at sea and inland.

Nguyen Van Can said smuggling, trade fraud, fake goods and illegal transportation of goods is taking place. Goods at risk of violations range from consumer goods to minerals, banned goods such as wild animals and plants, especially transnational drug crimes, and goods with origin violations.

According to him, implementing the guidance of the Minister of Finance Dinh Tien Dung, Deputy Head of the 389 National Standing Steering Committee, the General Department of Customs has just chaired and coordinated with the Standing Office to build and issue specialized plans on anti-smuggling to intensify the struggle with key items and areas such as: Goods of infringing origin; minerals; sugar, tobacco and second-hand electronic goods.

In particular, in addition to implementing the plans, Nguyen Van Can said that to improve the effectiveness of the fight against smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods and illegal transportation of goods, the responsibilities of the competent forces and localities in each specific case need to be specified, thereby taking measures to strictly handle individuals and organizations committing violations.

Deputy Minister Vu Thi Mai spoke at the meeting. Photo: T.Binh

In conclusion, the Deputy Minister of Finance requested that in the future, ministries, agencies and localities should further direct and effectively implement guidance of the Government and the Prime Minister on combat against smuggling, trade fraud, fake goods and illegal transportation of goods.

In which, focusing on key areas, fields and commodities with high value, high tax rate; banned goods such as drugs, animals and plants such as rhino horn, ivory; and goods of origin violation.

Along with that, continuing to effectively implement plans of the National Steering Committee 389, especially those related to temporarily imported goods for re-export and bonded warehouses; plans on combat against tax fraud and evasion via e-commerce; plans on counterfeit goods, poor quality goods, and goods infringing intellectual property rights; and specialized plans which have been issued by the General Department of Customs.

Moreover, strengthening the inspection and direction in key areas; performing the coordination task between ministries, agencies and localities; promoting propaganda, especially directing people not to help the smugglers.

In particular, Deputy Minister Vu Thi Mai required the ministries, agencies and localities to further enhance political and ideological education, tighten the discipline for cadres and civil servants in charge of fighting smuggling.