The Tay Ninh Customs Department: actively anti-smuggling in the year-end

Staffs of the Moc Bai Customs Sub-Department (Tay Ninh Customs) inspect the import-export goods. Photo T.D.

Hot spot of transportation of money, foreign currencies

It is a province with complex borderline forest roads, trails, having the largest road border in the South with crowded truck lines operating continuously adjacent to Ho Chi Minh City – the largest commodity consumption centre of the country, Tay Ninh is considered as “fertile” land for smuggling “cultivation”. In particular, the illegal transportation of currency across borders is complicated and tends to increase. Compared with the goods smuggled across the border, currency is not bulky, and has great value and high hired transport so it attracted a lot of people involved in this activity. According to the statistics of Tay Ninh Customs Department, in 2017, the unit has detected and arrested seven cases of illegal transportation of money worth 1.1 billion VND, over US $38,000 and about 14 million Kip (Laos). The unit decided to prosecute 5 criminal cases involving illegal transportation of money and foreign currencies.

Typically, in November and December 2017, at Moc Bai border gate, Customs forces have detected and arrested 4 cases of money transportation of foreign currencies. On 5th November, 2017, the Moc Bai Border Customs Sub-Department discovered and arrested Phan Thi Can, who was born in 1963 in Go Dau Town, Go Dau District, Tay Ninh Province, illegally transporting 190 million VND and US $1,000 from Cambodia to Vietnam. On November 18, 2017, through inspection of an intercity bus imported into Vietnam, Customs forces in cooperation with Moc Bai International Border Guard Station arrested the driver, Nguyen Tan Thanh, who resides in Tan Phu District, HCMC, as illegally transporting 505 million VND. On December 3, 2017, the functional forces of Moc Bai border gate have discovered in luggage of Ms. Sao LAYSIM, born in 1983, Cambodian citizens hid US $22,080, not declared with the Customs when making entry procedures. On December 7, 2017, under inspection, they discovered 252.2 million VND in excess of the standards prescribed by visitors without declaration customs under Vo Nguyen Thanh Trung’s motorbike saddle.

In addition, the functional forces have also timely detected and arrested smugglers, and traffickers illegally transporting goods, such as cigarettes, foreign wine, sand sugar, milk, rare wood, drugs... Not only the use of traffickers, there are border residents who often travel to the border gates, the smugglers also take advantage of passenger cars from Ho Chi Minh City to Cambodia through Moc Bai border gate to smuggle, and illegally transport goods or currencies across borders. Along with creating favorable conditions, fast and proper procedures for the cars to run on time, on schedule, the Customs Sub-department of Moc Bai border gate has strengthened measures to timely detect, and make arrests for violations.

The border crossing area of Xa Mat border gate and Chang Riec sub-border gate have complicated forest trails to patrol and face many difficulties to control , so the smugglers take advantage for shipping at anytime, anywhere whenever possible. Recently, on November 16, 2017, through professional information, Xa Mat Border Customs Sub-Department issued the decision to inspect 2 means of transport entry No. 37B-005.32 and No. 37B-006.54 by driver Vu Thanh Thoi and Nguyen Duc Thuan, living in Dien Chau district, Nghe An province. Results of the discovery: truck 37B-006.54 hid 284 logs, weighing 4,562.4 kg in a secret compartment, US $15,000 and 50 million VND; and truck 37B-005.32 contained 347 logs, weighing 4,826.5 kg, US $13,850, 14 million kip (Lao PDR) and 45.9 million VND.

Tight control

According to the Steering Committee 389 of Tay Ninh province, the situation of smuggling and illegal transportation of goods and money across the border in Tay Ninh province is no longer as public as before. However, smuggling is still complex such as the smugglers take advantages of darkness, trails, openings, the use of vehicles with large volume and violence, causing many difficulties with struggles and prevention. Particularly, the forecast on the occasion of the Lunar New Year 2018, the situation of buying, selling and transporting goods through borders will increase due to the demand for consumption during the holidays, smugglers can be used to smuggle or illegally transport goods across borders. Accordingly, in addition to the implementation of professional measures in the area of the Customs operations, the Tay Ninh Customs Department has also directed its units to coordinate with the functional forces outside the area to promote a combined effort in the anti-smuggling battle, contributing to reducing the level of smuggling in the last months of this year.

Mr. Huynh Van Duc, Director of Tay Ninh Customs Department said that the units under Tay Ninh Customs Department will focus on implementing measures of inspection, supervision, prevention and strict handling of violations, smuggling, trade frauds, illegal cross-border goods transportation. At the same time, coordinate with other forces to intensify the inspection and control at border gates, border routes and transport routes from the borders into the inland; strictly control goods and luggage of passengers on entry or exit through border gates in the province. In particular, focus on reviewing suspects, the key routes, coordinating with the functional forces to timely detect smuggling and illegal transportation of goods across borders.