Hanoi Customs seizes more than 665kg of drugs of all kinds in six months

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Conference on preliminary review of the first six months of 2023

The number of drug seizures shows that the scale and tricks of drug traffickers have been changing rapidly and increasingly complex. Director of Hanoi Customs Department Duong Phu Dong said, with the spirit of raising vigilance and proactive struggle, from the beginning of the year, Hanoi Customs has strengthened many measures to prevent and arrest drug traffickers, especially in hot spots; assumed the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with police agencies in collecting information and dismantling many drug gangs and seizing a very large volume of narcotics.

As a result, in the first six months of 2023, Hanoi Customs Department seized 34 cases of illegal drug transportation with more 665kg of drugs of all kinds, and arrested 22 criminals.

Regarding the anti-smuggling work, Hanoi Customs also detected 598 cases of customs law violations with a fine of VND11.9 billion and an arrear of VND5.8 billion; seized 20 cases of smuggling, mainly electronic goods, wild animals and animal products. Hanoi Customs has prosecuted five cases, transferred to other agencies nine cases.

For the state budget collection, in the first six months of the year, Hanoi Customs Department also faced the same difficulties as many other customs units because the import and export situation showed signs of slowing down due to many businesses in the state of lacking orders from abroad.

Notably, export orders decreased, so enterprises' demand for importing raw materials and accessories for production decreased, specifically: tobacco ingredients had a turnover of US$ 2 million, down 91.2%, contributing VND23 billion to the State budget, down 89% over the same period in 2022; chemicals and chemical products recorded a turnover of US$ 219 million, down 54.1%, contributing VND 523 billion to the State budget, down 42% year-on-year; computers, electronic products and components saw a turnover of US$519 million, down 44.3% , contributing VND1,263 billion to the State budget, down 42.5% year-on-year; auto parts and accessories had a turnover of US$257 million, down 35.9%, contributing to VND903 billion, down 23.5% year-on-year.

Besides, by the end of 2022, the Government issued 17 preferential import-export tariff schedules to implement 17 FTAs in the 2022 – 2027 period, so in 2023, tax rates of many high-tax products are cut and continue to decrease in the following years.

As of June 30, 2023, the total import-export turnover at Hanoi Customs reached US$ 27.2 billion (equal to 87.8% over the same period in 2022). State budget revenue of the unit reached VND14,178 billion, equal to 42.8% of the estimate and equal to 84.58% of the same period in 2022.

Facing the general difficulties of the economic situation, reform, modernization and trade facilitation have been strengthened. In the first six months of the year, Hanoi Customs Department focused on implementing the digital transformation plan and training to raise the awareness of civil servants about digital transformation. As a result, the management information has been digitized over 95%, completing the goal of building e-customs with 5E (E-Declaration, E-Payment; E-C/O, E-Permit and E-Manifest). At the same time, Hanoi Customs Department has developed the project "Centralized inspection site management software" at its unit.

In addition, other key tasks such as risk management; post-clearance audit; inspection and examination also achieved many outstanding results.

At the conference, Deputy Director General of the General Department of Customs Hoang Viet Cuong recognized and praised the achievements that Hanoi Customs Department has achieved in the first six months of 2023, especially the fight against smuggling, trade fraud and drug control and prevention; administrative reform and customs modernization.

Deputy Director General Hoang Viet Cuong said: Hanoi Customs needs to focus on striving to complete the assigned targets in 2023.

Deploying tasks in the last six months of the year, Deputy General Director Hoang Viet Cuong emphasized that there are still many difficulties, therefore, Hanoi Customs Department needs to closely follow the situation, and implement solutions to complete assigned tasks.

Emphasizing the current difficult situation of enterprises, the leader of the General Department of Customs asked the Hanoi Customs Department to assign officials to grasp actual situation to have timely solutions to support and remove difficulties for businesses; well implement discipline and administrative discipline. Besides, Hanoi Customs Department should continue to disseminate, guide and encourage businesses to voluntarily comply with the customs law.

For the state budget collection, it is necessary to focus on analyzing and evaluating the collection situation and offering solutions to strive to fulfill the assigned targets in 2023.

Continuing to promote the results of the fight against smuggling, trade fraud and drug, Deputy Director General Hoang Viet Cuong suggested that in the last six months of the year, Hanoi Customs should continue to be vigilant and timely detect violations, especially, the fight against smuggling and trade fraud.