Synchronously fighting against cigarette smuggling from border gate to the inland

	Tobacco smuggling on the southwest border remains complicated
	Cigarette smuggling is still "hot"
	Cigarette smuggling is still hot on the southwest border

The seminar. Photo: Q.H

These contents were discussed by the National Assembly deputies, experts, scientists and managers at the seminar entitled, “The cigarette smuggling- the concerned issues”, held by the People's Deputies Newspaper on 13th November 2018 in Ha Noi.

Causing a State revenue loss of VND 10,000 billion

At the seminar, experts focused on evaluating the current situation and challenges in preventing and fighting against cigarette smuggling as well as identifying the acts and tricks of cigarette smugglers, causing losses of trillions of VND to the State budget.

According to Deputy Director of the Department of Drug and Crime Prevention (under the Border Defence Force), Nguyen Van Hiep, cigarette smuggling led to the risk of establishing cigarette trading markets along the Vietnam-Cambodia border.

It is due to the difficult lives of people in border areas, and they are easily enticed by smugglers to transport smuggled cigarettes. Moreover, the trading of smuggled cigarettes inland is easy.

Smuggled cigarettes have seriously affected health due to the lack of quality control. Photo: Q.H

On the other hand, the tricks of perpetrators are also quite diverse and difficult to control. In the sea routes, perpetrators use high-speed boats, so that the competent forces face difficulties in chasing. In the road routes, perpetrators use motorcycles and cars to transport smuggled cigarettes, meanwhile the competent forces’ manpower is still low. In addition, the smuggled cigarettes are also harmful to the user’s health due to the lack of quality control.

Chairman of the Vietnam Tobacco Association Vu Van Cuong said that cigarette smuggling caused concern in the public due to the recklessness of perpetrators.

Among 14 surveyed countries, Vietnam became the leading market for consumption of smuggled cigarettes.

Cigarette smuggling is super-profitable, 350% higher, causing a State revenue loss of VND 10,000 billion per year. In addition, the smuggled cigarettes are without details of origin and are not controlled and ensured for quality, hygiene and safety, and have seriously affected user’s health.

Need more solutions

Because the cigarette item is neat, light and highly profitable, so smugglers are more and more reckless and ready to fight against the competent forces, causing injury to officers performing their duties.

Meanwhile, the border areas are wide and there are many trails and tracks. The lack of means and tools for the prevention of smuggling are out of date and have not yet met requirements and tasks in the new situation. These shortcomings have led to the current rate of smuggled cigarettes accounting for nearly 20% of the market share.

It is necessary to continue improving the mechanisms, policies, amending and supplementing the system of legal normative documents in order to improve the effectiveness of prevention and combating cigarette smuggling.

“The fight against cigarette smuggling must be synchronously conducted from border areas to the inland, creating synergy in this work. At the same time, identifying smuggled cigarette as a disaster, which affects the user’s health and needs to be deeply assessed for the harm it causes. In addition to the difficulties in weak manpower, the Border Guard force enhances the propaganda and encourages people by raising awareness and strengthening confidence; strengthens the patrol and control of the border areas," Nguyen Van Hiep said .

Cigarette anti-smuggling – No less difficulty in homeland VCN- Cigarette smuggling activity in the past has been always complicated because of immense domestic demand.

Agreeing with the opinion, Deputy Director of the Anti-smuggling and Investment Department (under the General Department of Vietnam Customs) Nguyen Khanh Quang said that firstly, job creation is needed for people residing in border areas. In addition, enhancing the coordination in information exchange between competent agencies in borders and the inland, as well as strengthening the cooperation with neighboring competent agencies.