Hai Phong Customs suggested to equipped more vessels to serve for the work of preventing smuggled cigarettes

Exhibits of the seizure of nearly 400,000 cigarettes packs on 25/3/2016.

Hai Phong Customs Department assessed and implemented Directive 30 of the Prime Minister about strengthening the fight against smuggling cigarettes (1/10/2014 to 1/10/2018), basically, the unit has completed missions well.

However, Hai Phong Customs acknowledged the work of anti-smuggling in the area still has some difficulties and restrictions. One of the reasons is that the unit is not equipped with cars, motorcycles for patrol in the port area, remote recorder and camera,...

In order to improve the effectiveness of combating smuggling, including smuggling cigarettes, Hai Phong Customs Department recommended the General Department of Customs to provide sufficient equipment for the work of customs enforcement, such as sea vessel, automobiles, motorcycles for customs patrols ... At the same time, research and development of informatics software for the exchange of professional information under coordination regulations.

Regarding the results of the implementation of Directive 30, Hai Phong Customs Department is currently coordinating with Hai Phong Police to investigate and clarify a case of violation with the number of exhibits up to 1,500 cigarettes.

Previously, during the implementation of Directive 30, the unit has detected, arrested and handled 3 cases of violation with a huge amount of exhibits from several hundred thousand up to millions of cigarettes.

In particular, two cases are being prosecuted by Hai Phong Customs Department. One case of more than 1 million packs of JOHN cigarettes, due to the humidity of the item, the cigarettes inside did not keep their original status, had no commercial value and did not contain hazardous waste for the environment. Thus the unit has conducted the destruction.

Also relating to the work of preventing smuggled cigarettes, in March and May of 2017, hundreds of tons of shisha (commonly called Arabic tobaccos), were detected.

In May of 2018, Hai Phong Customs Department has destroyed the above infringing goods.