Anti-smuggling efforts in the peak month by Dong Thap Customs Department

	Dong Thap Customs arrests an illegal export of nearly VND 360 million
	Dong Thap Customs Department: Facilitating the promotion of agricultural and fishery exports
	Southwest border: Smuggled sugar still "flows"

Smuggled sugar products were seized by Dong Thap Customs. Photo: Đ.N

Hundreds of millions without declaring

Recently, Dong Thap Customs Department has handledmany cases of money transfer across borders without declaring customs and temporarily seized nearly VND700 million.

At noon on January 29, at the Thong Binh Border Control Station (Thong Binh commune, Tan Hong district, Dong Thap), the Customs and Border Guard discovered two Cambodian men on a motorcycle carrying out procedures to exit Vietnam from Cambodia. When conducting aninspection, the Customs officers discovered that under the saddle of the motorbike wasVND359 million in denominations of 500,000 and 200,000 without customs declaration and legal proof.

Working with the Customs, the man claimed to be Ron Hay and said the money wasreceived from Mr. Hung in Long An to go to Cambodia to buy cows. However, when he exited the border gate, Ron Hay didnot carry out procedures and declare to Customs office as prescribed. Due to the foreign element, Dong Thap Customs Department transferred the case of illegal smuggling of money across the border to the People's Procuracy of Dong Thap province to consider the case for prosecution.

On December 7, at the border checkpoint at Thuong Phuoc international border gate, the Customs Branch of Thuong Phuoc border gate and the border guard discovered two women, Pham Thi Trang and Nguyen Thi Thuy (from Hong Ngu district, Dong Thap province) withover VND300 million in a motorcycle jacket from Cambodia to Vietnam via Thuong Phuoc international border gate with no papers proving their legality. Currently the case file has beentransferred to the Police Department of Hong Ngu district for clarification.

Leaving contraband goods to escape

According to Dong Thap Customs Department, in the period before, during and after the Lunar New Year holiday, the unit implemented many anti-smuggling plans and solutions during this peak period. As a result, in the early days of 2020, Dong Thap Customs Department dealt with many cases of smuggling in the area. In particular, there weremany cases of large quantities of goods, and smugglers abandoning goods to escape.

This includes the seizure of one ton of smuggled sugar in the early morning of January 15, 2020. This incident was discovered by the Customs Enforcement Team - Dong Thap Customs Department in collaboration with the An Lac ward police controlling the inter-communal road of Thuong Lac - An Lac when it was patrolling the area of Dinh An Lac (belonging to Cong Co village, An Lac ward, Hong Ngu town, Dong Thap province). In this area, the task force found a man holding many bags containing goods, on the sidewalk, waiting for vehicles to transport to other places. Suspecting that the bags contained smuggled goods, the coordinating force requested they be checked, but the subject fled, leaving material evidence including 20 bags of sugar.

Also, with the tricks of transportingsmuggled sugar inland for consumption, 2.4 tons of sugar on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai route was seizeda few days earlier by the Customs Control Team.

Previously, the task force found and seized 100 cases of CROWN brand-name cans, made inCambodia.The goodswereplaced on the sidewalk of Le Hong Phong Street in Hamlet 5, An Thanh Ward, Hong Ngu Town, Dong Thap province.

According to the Dong Thap Customs Department, every year, on the occasion of the Lunar New Year, to take advantage ofthe high demand of consumers, people found ways to illegally transport items such as cigarettes, wine, beer, soft drinks and confectionery. Implementing the Steering Committee of 389 Dong Thap province and the General Department of Customs; Dong Thap Customs Department has implemented a plan against smuggling before, during and after the Lunar New Year, coordinating with competent forces in the area to resolutely prevent and arrest to limit smuggling and illegal transportation of goods across borders.

In the peak periodof early 2020, the Customs Enforcement Team coordinated with the competent forces in Hong Ngu district and Hong Ngu town, Dong Thap province to detect and seize11 cases of imported goods, including smuggled sugar, beer and cigarettes witha value of over VND170 million.

With the above situation, after the Lunar New Year, Dong Thap Customs Department continues to deploy solutions to fight and prevent illegal transportation of goods across the border.