Cigarette smuggling in Long An is increasing

	Cigarette smuggling is still "hot"
	Cigarette smuggling is still hot on the southwest border
	Quang Tri: Cigarette smuggling is still “hot issue”

Smuggled cigarettes are gathered at Cambodian borders adjacent to Binh Hiep international border gate to wait for the opportunity to come Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Hue.

Continuously arresting of smuggled cigarettes

According to information from the competent forces of Long An province, from the beginning of the year to this date, cigarette smuggling on the border of the province has basically been reduced compared with the same period in 2017 but still smoldering with complicated, unpredictable performance. Particularly, in recent times, there have been many transportation cases of smuggled cigarettes in large quantities being discovered and seized by competent forces in the border areas, which shows that cigarette smuggling is taking place more complicatedly.

Typically, at the end of August, 2018, only 3 days, Duc Hue district police discovered and arrested many transportation cases of smuggled cigarettes by cars in large quantities. Of which, on August 29th, 2018, Duc Hue Police arrested a car carrying 6,600 packs of smuggled cigarettes. On August 27th, 2018, also in the area, the anti-smuggling force of Duc Hue district police also arrested a four-seat car carrying 9,000 packs of smuggled foreign cigarettes. On September 11th, 2018, Police Division of Long An Security for Investigation of Crimes related to Smuggling arrested a car secretly carrying 14,400 packs of smuggled cigarettes on DT 830 road in Luong Hoa commune, Ben Luc district. Subsequently, on September 20th, 2018, the anti-smuggling force of Duc Hue district police also arrested a car carrying 7,200 packs of hidden smuggled cigarettes ...

According to information captured by the reporter in Kien Tuong border area, although, the day-to-day transportation of smuggled cigarettes on national road 62 from Binh Hiep international border gate to Kien Tuong town has been reduced, the transportation at nights and outside the patrolling time of the competent forces are increasing. Cigarettes are carried by motorbikes from the other side of the border to the transportation hubs, where people gather for transporting to gambling and cock-fighting places, to be camouflaged in either 7-seat passenger car or 16 seat passenger cars with a quantity of from 1,500-2,000 packs to the inland.

At the flea market on the other side of the Cambodian border, adjacent to Binh Hiep international border gate, cigarettes are gathered daily in very large quantities to wait for the opportunity to come to Vietnam for consumption. At the beginning of September, 2018, a car carrying 8,500 packs of smuggled cigarettes was detected and arrested by the border guard station at Binh Hiep international border gate.

Many new tricks

Not only in large quantities, transportation of smuggled cigarettes is also becoming increasingly sophisticated with new tricks. Typically, according to information from Long An Public Security, recently, cigarette smugglers by cars often use two cars at the same time and running together. The first car often does not carry the goods, and when it is stopped by the competent forces for inspection, the following car will increase its speed to escape. Along with that, under the strict control of the competent forces, the goods deliveries at the gathering places at borders are restricted, so the smugglers change the delivery into inland with unclear time and place, and often in peak hours when many cars are going to and from casinos, causing difficulty for arresting.

According to the Command of Long An Border Guard, under the strict patrol and control of the competent forces, the transportation of smuggled cigarettes by cars on the Duc Hue border from the beginning of the year to this date has decreased, but the tricks are more sophisticated. Perpetrators use cars hired under many contracts to the borders to load cigarettes and then drive straight to a consumption area. At the gathering places at border areas, these cars often appear within 5-10 minutes to load the goods and then leave immediately.

Particularly, perpetrators have been using fake license plates to transport smuggled cigarettes. A typical case was the transportation of smuggled cigarettes arrested by Duc Hue district police at 5 pm on August 27th, 2018 in My Thanh Bac commune, Duc Hue district. At the time, Duc Hue district Police arrested a white Hyundai car (4-seat car number plate 51G-453.16) carrying 9,000 packs of cigarettes. Through a quick verification, the competent force detected that the car had a registered number plate as 51G-393.58.

Furthermore, according to the report by the local police, now, in addition to cigarette smuggling by car, some perpetrators take advantage of goods consignment for smuggling. Accordingly, the goods are wrapped, sealed and sent by transportation services to the addresses shown on the packages (inside are foreign cigarettes). During transportation, if it is detected and arrested by the competent forces, it is very difficult to handle the carrier because he/she does not know what is inside and has no right to open for inspection, as well as it being difficult to find the owner. This is one of the new methods and tricks of smugglers.

Tobacco smuggling on the southwest border remains complicated VCN- In the first 6 months of 2018, competent forces seized many cigarette smuggling cases across the ...

According to the competent forces in Long An province, in the last months of the year, the cigarette smuggling in the border areas such as Duc Hue, Kien Tuong and Duc Hoa transshipment area of Long An province has potential risk of increase and complicated movement. Facing the above situation, right from the middle of July, 2018, Long An Steering Committee 389 issued the peak plan to fight against smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeited goods and requested competent forces and local areas to concentrate intensely on the combat against smuggling and trade frauds, especially cigarette smuggling.