An Giang Customs: Preventing smuggling in the flood season

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Contraband cigarettes are seized by Vinh Xuong border gate Customs and Border Guard in September. Photo: T.L

Beware of new tricks

Though authorities have applied strict management measures to people crossing the border, including drivers to ensure pandemic prevention, some drivers have found ways to bring contraband goods to Vietnam. The seizure of illegal transportation of nearly three kgs of gold on September 9at Tinh Bien international border gate is an example.

According to Tinh Bien International Border Gate Customs Branch, a suspect drove a truck carrying goods from Vietnam to Tinh Bien border gate to deliver a vehicle and goods at the landmark area to a Cambodian partner, then came back to the designated isolation place. When the goods were delivered, the Cambodian partner returned the truck at the landmark area; the driver would take it back to Vietnam. However, when arriving at the landmark on the Vietnamese side, the Border Guard and border gate Customs discovered nearly three kilos of metal suspected as gold hidden in the truck's cabin.

In addition, taking advantage of interlacing canals on the border during the floating season, suspects often use motorboats to transport non-customs goods. According to leaders of border gate customs branches, in most transportation cases of contraband goods, when detected, the offenders run away and throw goods into the river, or jump into the river to escape.

According to An Giang Customs Department, this year's flood situation came later than 2020. Customs units have applied customs control measures, strengthened inspection and strict control at routes, locations, key items such as banned goods, goods with high value and high tax rates to prevent violations.

Amid the turbulence of the Covid-19 pandemic, the leader of An Giang Customs Department requested the Customs Enforcement Team, Drug Prevention and Enforcement Team and border gate Customs branches to take the initiative in arranging officers in charge of patrol and control.

It is necessary to determine objects, methods, tricks, and key items to make fight plans at each area and each time and apply customs control measures at main border gates, warehouses, yards, centralised inspection sites for import warehouse of sugar of businesses along the border.

Based on the actual situation and developments of the Covid-19 pandemic, An Giang Customs will develop and carry out a plan for the peak time of combating smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods before, during and after the Lunar New Year of 2022.

Strictly control border

According to the leader of An Giang Customs Department, from early 2021, facing the turbulence of the Covid-19 pandemic, many plans and solutions to implement customs management, especially inspection, control and fight against smuggling at border gates, have been changed to adapt.

An Giang Customs Department has achieved encouraging results in protection of economic security at the border gate, such as there is no appearance of hot smuggling spots and groups in the ​​customs operation areas and border customs branches controlled the area and ensured enough officers and equipment to join the province's interdisciplinary anti-smuggling working groups.

So far, 10 working groups to carry out the Inter-disciplinary Plan 39/KHLN dated April 22, 2021 to prevent and combat smuggling, illegal transportation of goods and trade fraud on the border have been maintained. In addition, there are nearly 200 checkpoints to prevent and control Covid-19 chaired by the Border Guard. The smuggling and illegal transportation of goods across the border is under control and the transportation of goods in large quantities somewhat is reducing.

However, according to An Giang Customs Department, some smugglers still find ways to transport goods across the border, mainly at night. Smugglers often choose an area far from the checkpoint and then bring goods into Vietnam in small quantities through border areas of Vinh Xuong, Tinh Bien, Khanh Binh, and Long Binh. The illegal imported goods are mainly sugar, foreign cigarettes, cosmetics.

From early 2021 to September 15, An Giang Customs seized more than 20 cases and worked with other forces to seize many cases of illegal cross-border transportation of goods. Typically, on September 1, Vinh Xuong border gate Customs Branch, An Giang Border Guard Anti-drug Force and Vinh Xuong International border gate Border Guard Station arrested a person riding a motorboat carrying 3,000 packs of cigarettes from Cambodia to Vietnam. Two other suspects in this case abused the dark of night to jump into the river to escape. Then, they surrendered at the Vinh Xuong International Border Gate Border Guard Station and confessed to transporting contraband goods.