Five measures of Customs in combating illegal export of minerals

	Anti-smuggling at the end of the year against from firecrackers, cigars to drugs and minerals
	Export of raw minerals is allowed to solve difficulties for enterprises
	Proposing to reduce import duty for mineral products to 0%

Searching violating consignment in the case of Hai Phong port area.

Tracing origin

According to the General Department of Customs, to prevent the illegal export of minerals, the Customs office is focusing on implementing synchronously five key measures.

Firstly, the Ministry of Finance (the General Department of Customs) has issued documents No. 10921/BTC-TCHQ on building the inspection and verification plans to fight illegal activities of exploitation, business, and smuggling for minerals.

Secondly, manage and supervise closely transport enterprises which conduct directly acts of smuggling minerals across borders.

Thirdly, traceability of minerals or traceability of mineral records to ensure minerals taken into processing, manufacturing, transporting, storing and trading have legal origin, since then, distinguish illegally exploited minerals (no license or exceeding the amount of tax payment) exported.

Fourth, focus forces to hit the leading object, apply scientific and technical advances to identify tricks to prevent in time.

Fifthly, competent agencies in the areas of border and ports need to coordinate to supervise and manage mineral goods to take preventive measures.

At recent meetings related to anti-smuggling, one of the main directions of the General Director of the General Department of Customs Nguyen Van Can for units in the Customs is focusing on fighting mineral smuggling. This is one of the most important tasks of anti-smuggling work, especially in the peak occasion during the Lunar New Year.

Arresting the director with acts of smuggling minerals

In fact, the Customs force has discovered and handled many cases of violations related to mineral products recently.

Following the direction of the leaders of the General Department of Customs, in August 2019, the Northern Region Anti-smuggling Control Team - Team 1 (Anti-smuggling Investigation Bureau) coordinated with Department of Police and Crime Investigationon corruption, economics, smuggling- C03 (Ministry of Public Security), the Hai Phong Customs Department, the Hai Phong Police conducted a search according to administrative procedures with five shipments of VC Economic Cooperation and Import-Export Joint Stock Company (Hanoi).

Previously, on August 16, 2019, VC Economic Cooperation and Import-Export Joint Stock Company opened 5 declarations at the Customs Sub-Department of Hai Phong port border gate Area 2. Goods declared were zinc oxide powder (packed in 16 containers) and unprocessed lead into blocks (packed in five containers).

The shipment completed procedures and was released by the system of certification (waiting for price consultations) before exporting to China via Nam Dinh Vu port (Hai Phong).

In which five containers were declared as unprocessed lead which were cast into blocks, were transported to Nam Dinh Vu port to wait for export. Under inspection results of functional forces, goods in five containers were true to the declaration.

Sixteen containers were declared as zinc oxide powder, were transported into Sao A D.C container yard (not yet brought into the customs supervision area at Nam Dinh Vu port) to await being brought into Nam Dinh Vu port to carry out export procedures.

However, on the morning of August 18, 6 out of 16 containers of VC Economic Cooperation and Import-Export Joint Stock Company were taken out of Sao A D.C container yard for packing more goods.

After grasping the information, the Interdisciplinary Task Force (Anti-smuggling Investigation Department, C03, the Hai Phong Police, the Hai Phong Customs Department) urgently verified, chased and found the above six containers to bring back to Sao A DC container yard.

According to the verification results, three out of six of the containers had been changed the seal numbers of shipping lines compared to their numbers at the beginning into yard; one container had been lead-cut without cargo inside; two containers with the seals of shipping lines compared to when they entered the yard.

Inspection results of goods inside the containers, with only a small amount of zinc oxide powder as declared by the enterprise, there were ore, lead and copper ores. They are banned exportgoods.

After consolidating records, the Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department handed over the files and cases to the Investigation Police Agency (the Ministry of Public Security) to initiate lawsuits, prosecute suspects and arrest, detaine Director of Economic Cooperation and Import-Export Joint Stock Company on charges of smuggling.