Customs strengthens fight against smuggling and illegal transportation of firecrackers

	Bat Xat Customs arrests about 168 kg of firecrackers
	Prevent the sale and transportation of firecrackers before Tet
	Strictly controlling smuggling and illegal transportation of goods through Cau Treo border gate

Firecrackers seized by Team 4 (Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department) in coordination with Lang Son Police on October 18, 2023.

Strengthening control of high-risk vehicles and entities

The General Department of Customs has just directed local customs departments to continue to strengthen prevention and fight against smuggling and illegal transportation of firecrackers across borders, border gates, and sea areas.

The leader of the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department (General Department of Customs) said that to effectively implement the above task, the General Department's leader requires the units to focus on the following contents:

Continuing to seriously and effectively implement Directive No. 406/TTg dated August 8, 1994 of the Prime Minister; Official Dispatch No. 02/BCD389-VPTT dated January 28, 2019 of the National Steering Committee 389; Official Dispatch No. 235/VPTT-TH dated December 12, 2023 of the Standing Office of the National Steering Committee 389.

Strengthening inspection and control of means of transport on entry and exit, especially vehicles carrying import and export goods and passengers on entry and exit, which are reinforced to contain firecrackers on the routes in the provinces: Quang Ninh, Lang Son, Cao Bang, Ha Tinh, Nghe An, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Tay Ninh, Binh Phuoc and Long An.

Enhancing patrol and control in hot areas and locations with potential risks of smuggling and illegal transportation of goods across borders within the area of customs operations; proactively identifying suspects; regularly reviewing and analyzing information, assessing risks, researching new methods and tricks of illegally transporting firecrackers, weapons, explosives from foreign countries to Vietnam, including imported Green and Yellow channel shipments.

Closely working with competent authorities (Border Guard, Police, Market Management) to promptly detect, fight, seize and handle acts of smuggling and illegal transportation of firecrackers.

Continuing communication and encouraging border residents, passengers, agencies and businesses in the area about the harmful effects of illegal trafficking of fireworks, explosives from abroad into Vietnam.

Strictly following the instructions of the Government, Prime Minister, Ministry of Finance, and General Department of Customs on fighting against smuggling and trade fraud before, during and after Lunar New Year 2024...

Seizing many large-scale cases

Regarding fireworks, the Customs has presided over and coordinated with other forces to seize many cases.

On December 24, 2023, the Working Group of Tra Linh Border Gate Customs Branch (Cao Bang Customs Department) chaired and coordinated with Tra Linh Town Police (Thong Khanh district, Cao Bang province) , Tra Linh Border Gate Border Guard Station made a secret ambush at landmark 736 in Nam Tuan hamlet, Tra Linh town and arrested the suspect Nong Van Giap (born in 1976, permanent residence: Na Nghiu village, Luc Binh commune, Bach Thong district, Bac Kan province), and confiscated 52 kg of foreign-made fireworks.

On December 22, 2023, the Anti-smuggling, Counterfeit Goods and Intellectual Property Protection Enforcement Unit (Unit 4, Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department, General Department of Customs) coordinated with Chi Lang District Police, Lang Son city Police to patrol the area of Lang Ha village, Quan Son commune, Chi Lang district (Lang Son) and discovered a 4-seater car with suspicious signs.

During the inspection, the authorities discovered that the car contained 54 box-shaped blocks covered with colorful paper (total weight 77.5 kg). Working with the authorities, Vi Thi Hue (born in 1985, residing in Lang Ha village, car driver) declared that the above goods were fireworks, taken by Hue from the warehouse at Ms. Tran Thi Da's house (Hue's biological mother).

​Continuing to search Ms. Da's warehouse (also residing in Lang Ha village), the authorities discovered 713 more rectangular-shaped blocks wrapped with multi-colored paper (suspected to be firecrackers, with the appearance and the same size as the evidence seized in Hue's car) with a total weight of more than 1 ton.

Thus, the total weight of evidence seized in the case reached more than 1.1 tons and the packaging are printed with foreign words.

Previously, on October 18, 2023, at Highway 1A in Mai Pha commune, Lang Son city, the working group of Unit 4 and Lang Son City Police inspected a tractor-trailer driven by Luong Ngoc Tung, born in 1984, residing in Yen The district, Bac Giang province, showing suspicious behaviors.

Through inspection, the working group discovered and confiscated the water tank mounted under the semi-trailer and the empty space between the water tank and the floor of the semi-trailer containing 458 boxes of Chinese-made fireworks, weighing 667.5 kg and 980 artillery pieces (grenade artillery) weighing 47.5kg.

Luong Ngoc Tung confessed that he bought the above fireworks in China and brought them to Bac Giang for consumption.

Next, in the area near the northern bus station in Hoang Dong commune, Lang Son city, the working group continued to inspect a tractor-trailer car driven by Tran Van Diep, born in 1989, residing in Lang Giang district, Bac Giang.

Through inspection, the working group confiscated 120 boxes of fireworks, with a total weight of 168 kg, hidden under the semi-trailer.

Tran Van Diep admitted that he hired someone to make a water tank on the car to hide firecrackers to bring his hometown to use in the Tet holiday.