Drastically combat gold smuggling

Strictly control and combat gold smuggling

Officers of Vinh Xuong International Border Gate Customs Branch, An Giang Customs Department patrol on the border route. Photo: Thu Hoa

Complicated development

On May 14, Minister of Finance Ho Duc Phoc signed and issued Official Telegram No. 01/CD-BTC to the Director General of the General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC) and of the General Department of Taxation on strengthening management and supervision measures to combat smuggling and illegal trade of gold.

The Minister requests the GDVC to direct customs units at all levels to regularly coordinate with Police, Border Guard and market surveillance authorities; strengthen inspection, investigation and prevention of smuggling, trade fraud and illegal transportation of goods across land and sea border gates, and other locations in customs control area.

The Minister requires to focus on fighting cases of smuggling and illegal transportation of gold and foreign currency; strictly handle violations as per the provisions of law, especially the gold smuggling across the border.

According to the GDVC, the smuggling and illegal transportation of gold and foreign currency have emerged when gold prices and foreign exchange rates are different compared to other countries in the world. There was a time when the price of SJC gold bars was higher than the world gold price of about VND18 million/tael.

To follow directions of the Minister on improving the effectiveness of anti-smuggling and illegal transportation of gold and currency across borders, protecting the legitimate rights and interests of traders, producers and consumers, contributing to stabilizing the domestic gold and currency market and social development, on May 14, the GDVC issued a plan to combat smuggling, illegal transportation of gold and currency across borders.

Talking to a reporter from Customs News, the leader of the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department said that the Plan aims to strictly control customs operations and ensure security, social order and safety, stabilization and safety of the gold market, consumer protection, and prevention of state revenue loss.

Proactively control the situation, detect, combat and promptly and strictly handle acts of smuggling and illegal transportation of gold and currency across borders; prevent the establishment of hot spot for smuggling, illegal transportation of gold and currency across the border.

The implementation of the Plan must comply with the provisions of law, facilitated production, business, import-export, and immigration activities.

Strengthening international cooperation to combat gold smuggling

The GDVC directs units to continue to disseminate and strictly implement solutions to control gold market; fight against gold smuggling under the direction of the Prime Minister and National Steering Committee 389, Minister of Finance...

Promote professional activities and patrol at border gates in customs control area to cooperate with other enforcement forces to promptly prevent the situation. Make plans and handle smugglers and illegal transportation of gold and currency across the border.

Use equipment for customs inspection and supervision such as container scanners, luggage scanners, online surveillance camera systems, online surveillance vehicles...

Improve the capacity of customs officers in charge of inspecting and supervising at border gate, and screening, analyzing and evaluating images by scanners to conduct screening and physical inspection for high-risk shipments, luggage and vehicles, and handle violation.

Collect, process information, analyze risks of risk shipments and suspects, and strengthen inspection for high-risk enterprises and individuals that make false declaration to transport foreign currency abroad.

Strictly inspect and control the luggage of passengers on entry and exit, express delivery goods, increase the inspection rate for luggage and express delivery goods originating from targeting countries and routes.

Cooperate with Customs administrations of other countries, the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), the World Customs Organization (WCO), units of the State Bank and local enforcement agencies to exchange information and coordinate with gold smuggling rings and illegal cross-border currency exchange.

The GDVC requires units to disseminate on the mass media, request people not to assist illegal transport and smuggle golds and currency across the border.