Express Customs Sub-department: Preventing a series of sophisticated drug trafficking cases

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The package contained nearly 6 kg of cannabis-infused gummies.

According to the Express Customs Sub-Department, there are currently 11 service businesses and 2 international postal businesses regularly carrying out customs procedures at the sub-department, with more than 5,000 import-export declarations/day.

Most customs procedures are carried out on paper declarations as prescribed in Articles 4, 5, and 6 of Circular No. 49/2015/TT-BTC dated April 14, 2015 of the Ministry of Finance, amended and supplemented by Circular No. 56/2019/TT-BTC dated August 23, 2019, and other relevant legal documents.

According to the Express Customs Sub-Department, currently, smuggling and drug crimes through traditional methods, on cyberspace, and in the express delivery sector, etc are showing a tendency to increase dramatically in both the number of cases and the volume of contraband.

Violators often take advantage of the development of the e-commerce sector, through the form of cash on delivery with fake names and addresses, and often export and import goods containing drugs through postal services, express delivery, etc., using many stages, carried out online to conceal their identities.

Recognizing that postal and express delivery services are often exploited by subjects to illegally transport drugs with sophisticated forms of mixing drugs into goods sent to Vietnam or exported abroad, the leaders of the Postal Goods Procedure Team; Express Delivery Goods Procedure Team proactively focused their forces, coordinated with the functional departments of the Sub-department to implement plans on drug prevention and control, and strengthen drug control.

In addition, the Express Customs Sub-department regularly exchanges information and coordinates with relevant agencies, such as: Drug Control Team - Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department, Drug Control Team of the Southern Region (Team 6) - Anti-smuggling and Investigation Department (General Department of Customs), Drug Crime Investigation Police Department (PC04) - Ho Chi Minh City Police to promptly grasp the situation of routes, businesses, key goods, types of smuggling, illegal transportation of drugs, especially for the type of gifts from relatives from abroad to collect information, timely warnings of these functional forces.

Thereby, the department analyzed the methods of drug concealment that were discovered, updated them into image documents and experiences from actual arrests to train and disseminate to officers and civil servants to raise vigilance, skills in screening, analyzing images and identifying potential risks in methods and tricks of drug concealment, preventing drugs from entering the country, causing insecurity and social disorder. In addition, promptly warned civil servants in the team to pay attention to inspecting and strictly controlling imported goods from countries such as the US, Canada and Europe to detect suspicions of goods containing drugs.

Drugs cleverly hidden in puzzle boxes seized by Customs

With a high sense of responsibility, along with the close attention and direction of the leaders of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department, the coordination of forces inside and outside the industry, the Express Customs Sub-department has achieved outstanding achievements in the fight against drug crimes. From the beginning of 2024 to now, the unit has discovered and arrested 6 cases of drugs hidden in cargo packages.

In many cases, thanks to effective coordination with the police, subjects participating in the illegal drug transportation ring were arrested. Typically, in May 2024, through checking the bill of lading number EA024056…; that did not show the sender; the recipient lived in Binh Chanh district, Ho Chi Minh City, the Express Customs Sub-department and coordinating units inspected and discovered nearly 8 kg of drugs disguised in 6 boxes of chocolate cakes.

From the above incident, the Express Customs Sub-department coordinated with PC04 to expand the investigation and verification. As a result, in more than 2 weeks, the police arrested 17 subjects and seized more than 50 kg of various drugs.

In addition, the Express Customs Sub-department also discovered a number of sophisticatedly drug-laced foods hidden in gift shipments. Typically, in early 2024, when checking gift packages sent from abroad to Vietnam via express delivery, the Express Customs Sub-department, Team 6 and PC04 coordinated to discover nearly 6 kg of gummy candies laced with cannabis active ingredients, etc.

It is forecasted that from now until the end of the year, the amount of import and export postal and express delivery will increase. The Express Customs Sub-department will continue to focus on solutions to collect and analyze information; Strengthen inspection and control to ensure timely customs clearance of goods, and to promptly manage and prevent violations, especially prohibited goods and drugs disguised in postal items.