Customs-Border Guard: Closely coordinate in the new period

	Market Surveillance and Border Guard in coordination to prevent and combat smuggling and trade frauds
	Coordination in Anti-smuggling
	Director General of Vietnam Customs Nguyen Van Can: Coordination for anti-smuggling needs to be strict and practical

Director General Nguyen Van Can and Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien signs a coordination agreement. Photo: H.N

Deputy Minister of Finance Tran Xuan Ha, Senior Lieutenant General Le Chiem, Deputy Minister of National DefenceDefence, Chief of Steering Committee 389 Dam Thanh The; Commander of the Border Guards - Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, Director General of Vietnam Customs Nguyen Van Can and all leaders of the two forces attended the conference.

At the conference, Director of Border Gate Department under the Border Guard High Command Le Van Phuc said that complying with direction of the Government, Steering Committee 389, Ministry of National Defence, Ministry Finance, the Border Guard and Customs forces have implemented plans and solutions to control immigration, transit, import and export; prevent and combat smuggling, illegal transportation of goods across borders, commercial fraud and crimes of border areas and border gates.

In 2012 - 2019, the two forces coordinated information exchange smoothly from central to local levels. Information exchange between the two forces at all levels is carried out in many forms such as exchanging via briefings or unexpected exchanges when there are cases that need agreement. Especially, at the local level, the two forces have promptly informed each other new regulations, policies of the Party and the State, directions of their sectors related to the protection of national sovereignty and control of immigration; trade policy, management of import and export, prevention and combat of smuggling and trade fraud.

After seven years of implementing the coordination agreement in 2012 - 2019, the coordination between the two forces has become increasingly effective. During this period, the Border Guard has provided 468 information sources related to trade fraud, import and export tax evasion, fraud in declaring to illegally transport cash, foreign currencies through the immigration to the Customs force, including 336 valuable information sources. The Customs force has provided 398 information sources related to criminals on security and order, violations on immigration regulations, including 236 valuable information sources. Particularly, Customs and Border Guard units at border gates have coordinated to carry out immigration procedures for 25,362,891 people, 21,368,597 vehicles and 21,685,326 means of transport across land, rail border gates and seaports.

Director General Nguyen Van Can gives a statement at the meeting. Photo: H.N

In addition, the Customs - Border Guard forces at all levels have discovered and handled 2,951 violations on security and order; 5,563 smuggling and illegal transportation of goods across borders; 192 cases of drug trafficking and transportation. The value of infringing goods is over VND 100 billion. The two forces developed a plan on patrol and control 1,536 groups with 9,668 participants. Notably, the Customs force has collaborated with the Border Guard force to practice rescues on the sea with 15 times and 1,335 participants.

The coordination in implementing the agreement has positively changed the awareness of the leaders, officers and soldiers of the two forces from the central to local levels, creating solidarity and high consensus between the two forces in the control of imports, exports and immigration, supporting each other in performing tasks, especially handing complicated cases and cases related to border security, fighting against officers performing tasks, creating confidence for people, organisations, enterprises and relevant forces.

Although coordination between the two forces has achieved high efficiency, in some local units, the coordination of information exchange between the two forces in the same area is not tight or consistent. The exchange of specialised information has only been implemented when required and has not been actively exchanged, especially information related to smuggling lines and gangs.

At the conference, Director General Nguyen Van Can said due to the complicated situation and developments on the border routes and in the world, affecting immigration, import and export activities, in the coming time, the Customs and Border Guard forces will coordinate based on regulations and consider as a common task for the national interests. Can proposed that the two forces should have detailed instructions, plans and regular review to identify targeted issues in each period to have specific directions to deploy effectively.

Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien also agreed with the leader of General Department of Vietnam Customs. Chien highly appreciated the results the two forces achieved in the recent period. However, in the new period, he hoped the two forces would coordinate in all aspects to well perform the task of protecting borders and national security.

Senior Lieutenant General Le Chiem and Deputy Minister Tran Xuan Ha praised the achievements of the forces in recent years. However, the world situation has impacted Vietnam, especially the operation of crimes such as illegal immigration, trafficking and transportation of weapons, drugs, explosives, cultural products with reactionary content, human trafficking, money laundering activities, smuggling and trade fraud across border gates.

Therefore, in the future, the two forces will implement a new coordination agreement, with direct and awareness and responsibility in implementing the regulations at all levels. Considering coordination between the two forces as essential objective and practical requirement, and an important basis to contribute to accomplishing political tasks of each force.

Based on the contents in the conference and new coordination regulations, the Border Guards and Customs at all levels will unify the development of key plans, implement reconnaissance and collect information to fight large smuggling sites, lines, gangs and cases, especially the trafficking and illegal transportation of drugs, weapons, explosives, counterfeit money, affecting national security and social order and safety.