Anti-smuggling on the railways: There are still many shortcomings

The functional forces inspect the carriage of smuggled goods in June 2016. (Photo provided by C74).

According to statistics from the Steering Committee 389 of the Ministry of Transport, from the beginning of 2017 to the end of August 2017, the Transport has coordinated with the functional forces to inspect 24 cases of goods and luggage shipped on the carriages; at the warehouses, yards, leaving stations and arriving stations (up 6 cases compared to the same period in 2016), made records to sequester tens of tons of goods to determine origin. Notably, through inspections, the functional forces have detected and handled five cases involving tobacco, rare animals, and synthetic drugs.

A representative of Vietnam Railway Corporation said that the railway had nearly 300 stations, in which, 200 stations received the goods and the consigned goods. Particularly, the number of officials and employees involved in rail transport in Hanoi was over 4,000 people. The Ho Chi Minh City had nearly 3,000 people. The Ministry of Transport had issued many documents to regulate clearly the transport of goods, the consigned goods; Grasped thoroughly all officials and employees who do not participate in supporting the activities of smuggling and trade frauds and handled resolutely wrongdoings. The unit coordinated regularly and closely with the functional agencies in unexpected and planned inspections, at the same time, advised the Steering Committee 389 of the Ministry of Communications and Transport in the fight against smuggling and fraud trade. However, according to the representative of Vietnam Railways Corporation, in the coordination, the functional forces had not implemented properly the legal procedures for the goods inspection and custody.

Typically, June 1st, at Hanoi Railway Station, the Market Management Team No. 26 and the Economic Security Office, the Hanoi Police went to the station and presented the inspection decision, but the working team carried out inspecting other carriage being not in the inspection decision. Similarly, on August 14th, at Saigon Railway Stations, the Economic Police Team, the Police of Ho Chi Minh city checked and sequestered the goods on two carriages HL71503 and luggage carriage number 231444 in the TN1 trains without presenting the inspection decision, the goods sequestering decision on two above carriages.

The representative of the Vietnam Railway Corporation said that most of the sequestering records of the functional forces for the goods and means were sketchy; Notice of the examination decision and results of the competent authorities were missing and delayed. Such as in 2 years 2015 and 2016, the unit did not receive any examination notice and conclusion of the functional forces. Particularly in the first eight months of 2017, 7 of 24 cases were reported the examination results, but it was still slow.

Talking to the reporter of the Customs News, a representative of the Police Department on Crime Prevention of smuggling (C74-Ministry of Public Security) said that the unit coordinated with the railway transport business units to detect many cases of transporting the goods without the invoices and documents on this route, especially the imported goods in last time. Detecting and handling each incident have lasted several months, even several years. Therefore, to ensure confidentiality, it was difficult to meet the requirements of the railway industry in the notification of the examination results, the investigation results immediately.

The Vietnam Railway Corporation proposed that the localities should establish inter-branch stations to control the goods before boarding. At the same time, the functional agencies should follow the order of inspection strictly, provide information, gaps, deficiencies in conspiracies and tricks, the head objects, so the railway industry could catch information, fight and make the violation clear, as well as take the educative and preventative measures. If there are the units and the individuals the transporting goods without invoices and documents, the railway industry will determine to discipline seriously for those helping for smuggling and trade fraud.

Concerning the coordination of stopping, cutting freight carriage of the smuggled goods, the prohibited goods, the goods without the invoices and documents on the railway, the representative of the Standing Office of the National Steering Committee 389 said that there were still remaining at the coordination of the railway industry with the functional forces involving the inspection procedures, and process, making records… The inspection should be agreed at the beginning and ending stations, except the transportation of the prohibited goods, the flammable goods... that had to cut the carriages to handle. For the goods in the full carriage, the common trading goods…, the inspection at the beginning and ending stations should avoid affecting the goods belonging to non-inspection, the train schedules, and the railways' reputation. Exchanging and sharing information (the violation goods, the violation methods and tricks, the violators, results of the investigation, and arresting...), should be clarified the responsibilities of the head. He proposed that the railways sector follow the Decision No.19 on the promulgation of the coordination Regulations of the forces, the People's Committees at all levels; Decision No. 361/QD-BCD389 of the Head of the National Steering Committee 389 on the promulgation of the coordination Regulations of the Steering Committee 389 in the ministries, branches and localities to develop the coordination mechanisms and processes in providing the information.