Hai Phong Customs: improving efficiency in handling customs violations

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	Hai Phong Customs: Actively prevent goods infringing Vietnam origin

Ivory seized by Hai Phong Customs in January 2019. Photo:T.Binh

Speaking to Customs News reporters, a representative of the anti-smuggling and handling of violations Division (Hai Phong Customs Department) said that from the beginning of the year until now, import-export, entry and exit activities in Hai Phong have been performed busily. Along with that, smuggling, trade fraud, fake goods, illegal cross-border transportation of goods were also more complicated and sophisticated. Notably, offenders took advantage of inadequacies or preferential policies to conduct smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods of origin and labels, causing difficulties for competent forces in identification, arrests and handling

In addition, offenders took advantage of the customs regime of temporary import for re-export, independent transportation, combined transportation for smuggling and illegal cross-border transportation of goods.

Recently, Vietnam has been seriously influenced by the US-China trade war, which is a challenge to the high risk of foreign goods, including Chinese goods "disguised" as Vietnamese goods to export to a third country.

Facing the aforementioned situation, leaders of Hai Phong Customs Department directed units to deploy the directive documents of the Government, the Ministry of Finance, the General Department of Customs, and the People's Committee of Hai Phong City and local authorities to prevent smuggling, trade fraud and illegal cross-border transportation of goods.

In particular, the department has developed many plans such as Plan No. 2408 / KH-HQHP dated February 21, 2019 on the prevention and combat of smuggling, trade frauds, illegal cross-border transportation of goods and drugs, counterfeit goods, intellectual property violations and customs law violations in 2019. Accordingly, assigning specific targets to units in implementing Customs control, arrest and criminal prosecution. Plan 10371 / KH-HQHP dated July 31, 2019 on strengthening the control of drugs and precursors.

In addition, Hai Phong Customs Department continued to coordinate well with other forces in the area: Police, Border Guards, Coast Guard, Market Surveillance to intensify patrols and inspections of routes under the management, to ensure control, prevention, arrest and handling of violations in a timely fashion.

In the first eight months of 2019, Hai Phong Customs Department has directly or advised the Hai Phong City People's Committee to issue 4,511 decisions on sanctioning administrative violations in the field of customs, with total fines of more than VND 16 billion.

Of which, nine decisions were issued by the Chairman of Hai Phong City People's Committee with total fines of VND 910 million; 26 decisions were issued by Director of Hai Phong Customs Department with fines of nearly VND 1.5 billion; and 4,476 decisions were issued by Customs Branches with total fines of over VND 13.7 billion.

In addition, Hai Phong Customs Department issued four decisions to prosecute criminal cases and transferred four cases to the Investigation Police (Hai Phong City Police) for prosecution.

Hai Phong Customs seize container of tortoise shells, cosmetics and used electronic devices VCN – Hai Phong Customs seized a container full of tortoise shells and cosmetics which was transported ...

"The main violations detected and handled by Hai Phong Customs Department in the past time were administrative violations of customs procedures such as: Declaring and submitting documents in wrong time, lacking license andineligible; do not declare or misrepresent goods name. For criminal cases related to banned goods such as: ivory, pangolin scales, used electronic goods," the representative of the Anti-smuggling and handling of violations divisions said.