Tan Thanh Customs (Lang Son Customs Department): Preventing a hot spot of smuggling

On August 20, 2020, Tan Thanh Customs Branch (Lang Son Customs Department) chaired and coordinated to seize a large number of goods suspected counterfeit goods. Photo: Minh Tuấn

Many tricks of countering

According to Tan Thanh Customs Branch, in recent times, the phenomena of smugglers countering competent forces by spreading nails on roads to obstruct the anti-smuggling officers has occurred regularly.

Talking to reporters, Mrs. Dao Thu Lan, Manager of Tan Thanh Customs Branch, said that the unit has repeatedly handled many cases of transporting illegal goods across the customs management area in recent days. Goods were usually cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, firecrackers, components, phones, tablets, watches, goods of unknown origin and some other items. Smugglers transported goods through the Doi Cao area, the hill behind the export cargo yard of Thang Long Import-Export Joint Stock Company, Na Han, the underground sewer area of ​​Na Lau village, area of 1088/2 milestone.

On March 4, in the process of control in the area behind the export cargo yard of Thang Long Import-Export Joint Stock Company (zone 1, Tan Thanh commune, Van Lang district, Lang Son province), the working group discovered that there were some people carrying goods from China along the hill to the export goods yard of Thang Long Import Export Joint Stock Company.

Identifying that the people were illegally transporting goods across the border, the working group deployed forces to prevent and arrest them. However, when seeing the forces were approaching, the suspects left the goods and ran back towards China. Immediately after that, the competent force moved the above exhibits to the customs headquarters. Through inspection, the goods included 150 Nokia phones, brand new goods, made in Finland and hundreds of other products of unknown origin.

On the evening of March 17, the competent forces discovered and seized 2,400 electronic cigarettes of Romio brand manufactured in China; 700 tubes of ointment; 120 units of smartphones with codes of Y71, Y91, Y93, A73 manufactured in China; 250 children's masks; 40 boxes of footpads; 130 boxes of toothbrushes; 90 bottles of essential oils for hair; 50 boxes of 3CE matte lipstick with Korean words and 90 boxes of L’OCCITANE hand cream with French words. All of the above items were brand new.

From March 25-27, Tan Thanh Customs coordinated to detect and seize many electronic cigarettes that were hidden on vehicles transporting goods to bring them to inland for consumption by smugglers.

On April 7, at Thang Long yard area, Tan Thanh Customs enforcement force discovered and seized 100kg of mobile phone components, 33 mobile phones of all kinds, 100 cell phone chargers and four wireless mobile headsets.

According to the assessment of Tan Thanh Customs Branch, nowadays, to transport smuggled goods, the subjects often divided the consignment into small packages to transport easily. Many subjects have secretly monitored customs control forces' activities to obstruct competent forces by spreading nails on the road to cause damage, exploding tires for buying time to transport goods across the border.

"Spread out" to control 24/7

Those are just some typical cases among many cases of smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeiting, illegal transport of goods across the border that were discovered and handled by Tan Thanh Customs Branch. According to the Tan Thanh Customs Branch report, as of April 6, the unit has dealt with 32 cases of violation. The estimated value was over VND1.4 billion; coordinated to arrest one case of transporting 40kg of firecrackers. The main infringing items are consumer goods, electronic goods, household appliances.

Facing tricks and acts of smugglers, Tan Thanh Customs has continuously implemented solutions, measures, patrolling, controlling and blocking. Accordingly, the unit has deployed plans of anti-smuggling, preventing illegal transport of goods across border, performing duty 24/7 at all high-risk routes of illegal transport of goods across border areas such as Doi Cao and Na Han areas, underground culverts in Na Lau village.

Tan Thanh Customs Branch will continue to drastically implement measures to combat smuggling, control the area well, and strengthen coordination with competent forces in the area to strictly punish subjects carrying out acts of obstruction and resistance.