Tan Son Nhat Airport Customs: Deploying solutions to prevent smuggling at the end of the year

Drugs hidden in tea boxes were seized by Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch. Photo: T.H

Identify as “hot spots”

As noted by reporters, recently, Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch has coordinated with competent forces to detect and prevent many cases of transporting banned goods and foreign currencies with new tricks.

Recently, a case of transporting foreign cigarettes by air with signs of smuggling was handled by Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch in the airport's parking area. Accordingly, on October 16, 2022, the Sub-department seized a shipment of smuggled foreign cigarettes including 55 cigarettes while being taken from an aircraft to the apron of Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Currently, the case is being investigated and verified by the Customs authorities from relevant subjects and units.

In addition to the above case, the Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch is also coordinating with the authorities to clarify the shipment of over 700 used iPhones that were illegally transported by air and temporarily seized by the Customs authorities. Through the inspection of two pieces of luggage, the Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch coordinated with the Border Guard Police and the Police Department to investigate crimes on economic management and position (PC03- Ho Chi Minh City Police Department) and discovered 246 used mobile phones. The case was handed over to PC03.

On October 10, 2022, monitoring at the isolated area of Tan Son Nhat station, Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch, Saigon Ground Service Joint Stock Company, VIAGS Passenger Service Center Tan Son Nhat has made a record to certify that there are four pieces of luggage without tags, airline information and information of passengers. Checking this luggage number, the Customs agency discovered that there were 463 mobile phones of all kinds sealed and seized.

The Head of the Customs Branch of Tan Son Nhat International Airport, Bui Le Hung, said that the air route is one of the hot spots for those who take advantage of the illegal transportation of drugs, right from the beginning of the year.

By 2022, the Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch has strengthened the implementation of professional measures, grasping the situation of key routes in order to inspect, supervise and strictly control import and export goods.

There are signs of suspicion of illegal transport of precursors and drugs through international airports. With a high sense of responsibility, many cases of importing contraband and banned goods such as fish balls, marijuana, etc., sophisticatedly disguised in imported shipments, have been handled by the Tan Son International Airport Customs Branch.

From the beginning of 2022 until now, the unit has detected and made a record of violations of the law on customs with nearly 100 cases, worth VND63 billion. Among the detected violations, notably, many cases of illegally hiding drugs in export packages were promptly detected and seized by the Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch.

Officers of Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch inspect exported goods. Photo: T.D

Anti-smuggling peak

Talking to reporters, the leader of the Export Cargo Procedures Team said that goods exported by air are always supported by the Customs to handle procedures quickly and in accordance with regulations because most goods are not checked.

However, some subjects took advantage of the export of goods to hide banned goods. Notably, in recent times, the situation of people hiding drugs in export packages by air is very sophisticated, but it has been detected and promptly prevented by the Export Luggage Procedures Team.

From the beginning of 2022 until now, the Export Cargo Procedures Team has detected and handled 16 cases including nearly 37kg of drugs and precursors hidden in export goods. In particular, tricks to hide drugs are increasingly sophisticated.

Drug were hidden inside functional food packages, cosmetic jars, cartridge cores, cat food packages; hidden between carton partitions, in fruit candies, and hairdressing tools of export gift shipments to deal with the scanners and sniffer dogs of the Customs.

However, these tricks are not out of sight of customs officers. Recently, on September 29, 2022, at two locations for export procedures, the Export Cargo Procedures Team discovered two packages of drugs with similar tricks: nearly a dozen packages of meth hidden in tin tea boxes sent abroad.

Through verification, the Customs authorities discovered that these two packages belonged to the same sender. The case has been handed over to the competent police investigation agency.

According to the assessment of leaders of Tan Son Nhat International Airport Border Gate Customs Branch, passengers on entry and exit, import and export goods (import and export) through Tan Son Nhat international airport border gate tend to be more expensive at the end of the year.

In addition to proactively creating facilitation and quick procedures for luggage, import and export goods, Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch has been implementing a series of solutions to prevent violations.

In addition to arranging support forces and quick clearance of luggage, import and export goods for passengers and businesses, Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch is implementing key inspection and control plans to timely detect and prevent violations, especially taking advantage of the Green channel to hide contraband and prohibited goods in luggage and goods.

In particular, it is determined that import-export customers and import-export goods will increase sharply before, during and after the Lunar New Year, the Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch has developed an anti-smuggling plan in the high season. This point and deploy to each team and working group to proactively prevent along with many preventive measures at the passenger terminal, the Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch has implemented a plan to closely inspect and control imported goods, some subjects took advantage of this route to illegally import cannabis to Vietnam.