An Giang: Taking advantage of pandemic to smuggle goods into Vietnam

Smuggled masks were seized by An Giang Customs (March 2020). Photo: TH.

The shipments of smuggled goods in the middle of the night

On the morning of April 2, the Customs Enforcement Unit - An Giang Customs Department and the Economic Police Department, An Giang Police worked to patrol in the river route of Vinh Te canal, Trung Bac Hung hamlet, Nhon Hung commune, Tinh Bien. The forces discovered a motorboat with suspicious signs, so they conducted an inspection and detected that the hold of the motorboat was filled with imported foreign cigarettes. A total of 15,000 packs of smuggled foreign cigarettes were found, including 2,500 packs of cigarettes branded Jet and 12,500 packs of cigarettes branded Hero. At the time of inspection, no one claimed to be the owner of the above goods and the working group made a record on temporary seizure of vehicles and exhibits for investigation.

Previously, at the end of March 2020, An Giang Market Management Department discovered many cases of gathering smuggled goods near the Cambodian border area. For example: on March 28, Market Management Unit 1 - An Giang Market Management Department inspected the boxes that were left on the roadside (located in Chau Phu B ward, Chau Doc city) and detected 22,500 units of face masks of unknown owners. Previously, on March 25, the inspection team of Market Management Unit 4 discovered 12,500 units of surgical masks; 720 sets of Koné Facial Cream made in Thailand and 120 boxes of hair dyes branded Berina A1 with type of 60g made in Thailand. All goods were unclaimed and no receipts and documents were attached.

Not only detected small gathering cases, authorities of An Giang province also discovered the gathering of face masks in large quantities which were intended to export illegally into Cambodia. Typically, at midnight on 24/3, An Giang Market Management Department seized a shipment of 207,000 units of surgical masks near the border.

According to Huynh Ngoc Ho, Deputy Director of Market Management, Permanent Deputy Director of Steering Committee 389 An Giang province, facing the complicated situation of the Covid-19 pandemic, forces had regularly exchanged information and conducted patrols to control the smuggling situation. Although it decreased, it was still complex because some people were taking advantage of the pandemic to gather and smuggle goods at midmight to avoid the inspection and control of competent forces. At the same time, it always has a watchman for warning to notify to each other to hide when competent forces perform patrols.

Strictly control smuggled goods at border area

According to An Giang Customs Department, the administrative unit manages the borderline with a length of nearly 100 km adjacent to Cambodia and two provinces of Kan-dal and Ta-Keo (Cambodia). The geography of the border is very complicated with many trails and canals. During the development of the pandemic, the competent forces strengthened the inspection, supervision and implemented procedures for imported goods, means of transport and people on exit and entry, ensuring quick cargo clearance, strict management and compliance with regulations and especially strictly comply with the regulations in prevention and control of Covid-19.

They not only deployed effective solutions of pandemic prevention, but the anti-smuggling forces of Sterring Committe 389 of An Giang province also implemented many solutions to tightly control border smuggled goods. According to the assessment of Steering Committee 389 of An Giang, violations have been limited because the local competent force has been strengthened and tightened management of people and vehicles crossing the border to prevent the transmission of the Covid-19 pandemic. In general, smuggling and illegal transport goods across border was still complicated, but in terms of scale, the level of activity has decreased. Smuggled goods were gathered close to the border so when the opportunity came, they would use motorboats, motorbikes or hire people to transport small batches across the border through trails, openings, common rivers and bordering fields. Then quickly gathered and put on vehicles (motorcycles, trucks, passenger cars) which were waiting to be brought inland for consumption. In March, competent forces in the province checked and detected 169 cases of violations of buying and selling, transporting prohibited and smuggled goods. The total value of seized goods was about VND 2.7 billion. In particular, there were many cases of gathering smuggled goods that were electronic products, cosmetics and cigarettes.

To control and promptly detect and strictly handle violations, especially taking advantage of the pandemic situation to smuggle and speculate,the Steering Committee of 389 in An Giang province requested competent forces implement effectively the task of the fight against smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods. In particular, border forces and competent forces at border gates have to strictly manage the immigration, inspection and border residents who regularly travel.