Specialized project HP002 and the fight against prohibited goods in Hai Phong port area

Used air conditioners which were under the list of goods banned from import, were seized by Hai Phong Customs in the specialized project HP002.

Fighting smugglers

Through the fight against violations of customs law in the area recently, the Customs Enforcement Team (Hai Phong Customs Department) discovered signs of trafficking and transporting banned goods. The Customs Enforcement Team advised and reported to the leaders of Hai Phong Customs Department in order to establish specialized project HP002.

Talking to Customs News reporters, the leader of the Customs Enforcement Team said that specialized project aimed to detect and tackle groups of smugglers illegally transporting goods banned from import from foreign countries to Hai Phong port. At the same time, it would identify the group and clarify the methods, consequences and effect of the acts of trading and illegally transporting goods across borders.

“After the Special Project was approved, with the close guidance of the Department's leaders, the Customs Enforcement Team coordinated with the border-gate customs branches where goods were stored and the Risk Management Division to deploy the project drastically and synchronously through professional measures and promptly detect and handle many violated cargo shipments," the head of the Customs Enforcement Team said.

Typically, the Customs force has conducted administrative examinations of four imported consignments. The consignee which showed on the bill of lading was Tancate Logistics Co., Ltd. (Hanoi). Of that, one shipment opened declarations on March 26, 2019, at Coc Nam Customs Branch (Lang Son Customs Department) in order to store goods in Dat Phat bonded warehouse (Lang Son province). According to the declaration, the goods was declared as 18 items, including: non-stick stainless steel pot, thermos bottle, highlighters, non-stick pan, microwave oven, air pump, T-shirts and cosmetics of all kinds. All items are 100% new, originating from Japan and the Czech Republic.

However, the results of examination and verification showed that besides items such as new perfume, shoes and clothes inside the shipment, there were many used household goods of all kinds including: induction hob, rice cooker, condensing unit and indoor unit of air conditioner, vacuum cleaner, refrigerator, washing machine, clock, dehumidifier, air purifier, stove. Those items were on the list goods banned from import with the total value of violated goods was 858.79 million VND.

Therefore, on July 16, leader of Hai Phong Customs Department issued Decision No. 1603/QD-HQHP to prosecute a criminal case of illegal transport goods cross-border via Hai Phong port in order to conduct an investigation in accordance with regulations.

Next, the Customs Enforcement Team detected and seized two consignments transported from Japan to Vietnam including used household appliances such as induction hob, stoves, and rice cookers, pressure cookers, condensing unit and indoor unit of air conditioner, vacuum cleaner, refrigerator, washing machine, dehumidifier, air purifier, that were on the list of goods banned from import. The total value of violated goods was 841.4 million VND. The unit named as the consignee on the bill of lading was Van Don International Cargo Service Co., Ltd. (Hanoi). They declared the goods were consumer goods with HS code of 2208 and 3401 (consumer goods including soap and wine).

On August 20, 2019, the leader of Hai Phong Customs Department issued Decision No. 1806/QD-HQHP to prosecute a criminal case of illegal transport of goods cross-border at Hai Phong port and transfer all case dossiers to the Investigation Police Department of Hai Phong City.

Notably, through expanding the investigation of relevant shipments, the Customs Enforcement Team conducted an inspection on three consignments. The consignees of those three shipments was Minh Ha Import-Export Co., Ltd. (Hai Phong).

The examination and verification results showed that the goods of three shipments were: used household items including hot and cold water dispenser, photocopy machine, amplifier, refrigerator, condensing unit and indoor unit of air conditioner, washing machines, clocks, motorcycles, dehumidifier, air purifier. Those items were on the list of goods banned from import. In addition, there were some items including Ensure milk, beer and shower gel in one shipment. The total value of violated goods was nearly 1.4 billion VND. The case was of a serious nature, with the involvement of many domestic and foreign individuals. It also showed signs of illegally transporting goods across borders, the Customs Enforcement Team was completing the investigation and verification dossiers in order to prosecute criminal cases of illegal transporting goods cross-border.

Strictly control management areas

According to the leader of the Customs Enforcement Team, the initial results of implementing HP002 have contributed to destroying large-scale lines and groups of smugglers involving many domestic and foreign organizations and individuals. They operated using sophisticated methods. In particular, the project focused on suspects involved in transporting goods on the list of goods banned from import or goods on the list of CITES Convention in order to strictly control the operation of import and export activities, management policies and laws of the state.

The deployment of the Special Project helps Hai Phong Customs to strictly control the developments and situations of import and export goods through Hai Phong port in order to take measures for preventing and strictly handling violations. In particular, to deter and drive back the criminal activities related to import and export.

“Through the initial efficiency of specialized project HP002, it also helped the customs enforcement force learn many lessons and gain experience from the process of fighting, destroying the activities of the suspects or coordinating work between units inside and outside the customs sector in order to achieve greater efficiency in the prevention of smuggling and illegal transporting goods cross-border. Along with that was the improvement of skills, professional qualifications of customs officilas that were assigned tasks in the work of control in order to ensure the speed and accuracy in the performance of specialized projects; accumulated experience in identifying criminals with new and more sophisticated methods,” the leader of the Customs Enforcement Team said.