Tobacco smuggling on the southwest border remains complicated

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Perpetrators and exhibits of smuggled cigarettes were seized by the Tay Ninh forces on 14 March 2018.

Due to its small size, ease of transport and high profits, many perpetrators have been trying their best to smuggle cigarettes across the border for bringing them to the domestic market. This situation is concentrated in Tay Ninh, Long An, Dong Thap, An Giang and Kien Giang province.

According to the Steering Committee of 389 Dong Thap province, in the first 5 months of 2018, the anti-smuggling forces in this province have examined and processed 374 cases (139 perpetrators) of smuggled cigarettes and 142,456 tobacco packs of all kinds, and seized 10 motorcycles.

In Tay Ninh province, in the first 5 months of 2018, the anti-smuggling forces of the province seized over 600,000 packs of cigarettes.

Major General Bui Duc Hanh, Deputy Commander of Border Guards, said that in the first 6 months of 2018, Border Guards of southwestern provinces presided over and cooperated in seizing a total of 297,000 packs of smuggled cigarettes.

According to competent forces, cigarette smugglers gather smuggled goods near the land border, hired "local people" to transport goods through the trail, used two-wheeled motorbikes, cars, and boats for transport. On the sea, perpetrators hired fishermen to transport smuggled cigarettes.

Taking advantage of the provisions of the Law, perpetrators subdivided cigarettes into amounts of less than 1,500/bag per person in order to avoid being subjected to criminal proceedings when they were arrested. In addition, they also transported goods in small amounts several times per day, at night, or in the early morning to take advantage of competent forces’ loopholes. Particularly, perpetrators transported cigarettes in a dangerous and risky way, so the competent forces did not dare to chase, because it may affect people involved in traffic.

According to the Head of the Standing Office of the National Assembly's 389 Steering Committee - Mr. Dam Thanh The, since the Prime Minister's Instruction 30 was issued, forces held effective arrests with about 25 million packs of smuggled cigarettes. However, in some localities, perpetrators even fought against Customs officers and soldiers on duty, which seriously injured some of them, even leading to casualties.

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"The most important cause of the fight against smuggling is still human. Therefore, we have to fight and propagate information to the people to prevent perpetrators in smuggling goods. At the same time, competent forces should unexpectedly check the key points, promptly reward the officials who do well, as well as severely punish offenders," said Mr. Dam Thanh The.