An Giang Customs prevents smuggling at border route

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Drugs were seized on July 24.

Hotspot for smuggling gold

Customs News’ reporter arrives at Tinh Bien Border Gate area (An Giang province) when An Giang Enforcement forces has just arrested a large-scale gold smuggling case and expanded the investigation. Manager of Khanh Binh Customs Branch Ha Van Trong said that suspects were arrested for illegally transporting 19 kg of suspected gold in the river area at 19:20 on July 25. An Giang Provincial Police coordinated with local agencies, including Khanh Binh Customs Branch to tackle the case.

The suspects took advantage of the dark night to use motorboats to transport gold from Cambodia to Vietnam across Long Binh town, An Phu district, An Giang province. When detecting the enforcement forces, the suspects left goods and escaped. However, the suspects later surrendered and confessed to the crime.

The local police executed 8 decisions on for urgent search of the locations, residences and workplaces for the related suspects, and seized more than 14 kg of gold bullion, jewellery and many related documents and properties. Currently, An Giang Provincial Police have arrested five suspects and expanded the investigation of the case.

Many suspects and gold shop owners have participated in the gold smuggling case with the large quantity of over 33 kg.

Notably, this smuggling case took place while the smuggling case of 51 kg gold across the An Giang border by Nguyen Thi Kim Hanh and 24 related suspects was being tried by the People's Court of An Giang province. This shows that the suspects are reckless, and the gold smuggling on the An Giang border tends to increase again.

In addition, the illegal transportation of foreign currency, drugs, and banned goods across the Tinh Bien border area also sees complicated development. From the beginning of the year, Tinh Bien Border Gate Customs Branch has detected three cases of illegal transportation of currency, second-hand mobile phones and drugs. On July 24, An Giang Border Guard Force coordinated with Tinh Bien Border Gate Customs Branch to detect L.Q.H., 24, (Thuy Nguyen, Hai Phong) hidden in his body 31 pieces of plastic pipes containing drugs. The case is investigated by the competent authorities.

Earlier, a Cambodian suspect hid over 11.6 million and 390 grams of 18K gold without customs declaration in a truck transporting imported fruits and vegetables in 2022.

Actively providing solutions to combat smuggling

According to An Giang Customs Department, the smuggling, trade fraud, and illegal transportation of goods across An Giang border has tended to be complicated. Smuggled items mainly are cigarettes, sugar, raw gold bars, gold jewellery, used clothes, scraps, currency... Smugglers often change routes and times, places for gathering goods to avoid the detection and control by anti-smuggling forces.

In An Phu district, since the Inter-sectoral force on anti-smuggling under Plan 77/KHLN left the area, smugglers have set up smuggling rings to transport goods across the border gate, mainly in two communes Khanh An and Khanh Binh (outside the Customs control area). Smugglers have taken advantage of the dark time and complicated terrain due to the shared river between Vietnam and Cambodia to illegally transport goods across the border, causing difficulties for anti-smuggling enforcement forces.

An Giang Customs Department has identified key suspects to fight and prevent, including: some businesses, individual business households with business locations or warehouses in the border area, Vietnamese factory owners buying rice and paddy, dealers, smuggled goods transporters. Most of them do not have a stable job, at various ages, have a difficult family economy, and consider the transportation of smuggled goods as the main income.

Deputy Director of An Giang Customs Department Dao Thinh Vinh said that the department’s leader regularly directed border-gate customs branches and Customs Enforcement Team to strengthen inspection, control and strictly handle those who illegally transport goods and currency across the border. On July 25, An Giang Customs Department issued a decision to prosecute a criminal case of “Illegal transportation of goods as plant protection drugs across the border”, which was arrested by Vinh Hoi Border Gate Customs Branch on Chau Doc river route February 2.

At the same time, the leader requested border-gate customs units to effectively coordinate with local government agencies in the prevention and combat of smuggling on the border route; regularly exchange information, patrol, control, prevent, and fighting against crimes of smuggling and illegal cross-border transportation of goods in customs control area.

Leader of An Giang Customs Department also pointed out key areas and items that border-gate customs units must pay close attention to and strengthen control in the last months of the year. For example, providing warn of contraband across the border during the flood season, and taking the initiative in arresting smuggled goods to strictly handle them. Focusing on inspecting items such gold, foreign currency... The leader required units to build feasible plans, focusing on targeting point, review key objects, monitor and regularly update information about these objects, grasp the status of objects that have warehouses and business sites in the border area.