Ho Chi Minh City Customs deploys anti-smuggling peak at the end of the year

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iPhone 15 smuggled by air seized by Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch at the end of September 2023

Nearly 40 cases show criminal signs

Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department Do Thanh Quang said that in the first months of 2023, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department has seriously implemented the direction of the General Department of Customs on fight against smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeiting. As of September 15, 2023, the department handled 2,239 cases of customs law violations, with the infringing goods estimated at over VND 3,085 billion. Of which, there are two smuggling cases, one case of illegal cross-border transportation of goods and currency, 27 cases of drugs, 37 cases of customs control and 2,172 cases of administrative violations. As a result, VND31.18 billion of fine was remitted to the state budget. Regarding criminal violations, the department decided to prosecute 2 cases, transferred to another agency 37 cases.

In particular, the situation of smuggling and trade fraud through the air at Tan Son Nhat international airport, and law violations is becoming increasingly complicated. Suspects have taken advantage of e-commerce activities to carry out acts of smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit. The suspects regularly change flights or cancel flights unexpectedly if there are signs of being detected. Along with that, some take advantage of regulations allowing cancelation and correction of declaration to deal with risk assessment, channeling on the customs system, avoid Customs inspection and control, or legalize infringing shipments, declare multiple declarations for one shipment and choose the Green channel declaration for customs clearance, intentionally declare incorrect goods names, codes, quantities, types... to get the Green channel or cancel the declaration if the system classify the shipment into the Red channel and open a new declaration.

During more than 8 months of 2023, Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch recorded nearly 250 cases with an infringing goods volume valued at nearly VND500 billion. The main violation acts importing goods on the list of import license but without a license; importing goods that do not meet standards and regulations according to current regulations; making wrong declaration of quantity, product name, tax code, etc., leading to underpayment of tax payable. The unit has transferred seven cases to other for criminal proceedings.

Facing with the above situation, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department has developed peak plan to fight against smuggling and trade fraud for goods with high tax rates and export and import and export goods with high-value in the last months of 2023.

At the same time, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department continues to develop control plans and apply professional measures; strengthen key surveillance for passengers who frequently travel on routes with potential risks of smuggling and illegal transportation of electronic devices; carry out screening of goods and luggage via air and postal routes;

Strengthen review and inspection of the application of tax policies, including regularly reviewing subjects of self-defense tax, anti-dumping tax, environmental protection tax, and special consumption tax to promptly collect taxes and detect cases of incorrect application; strictly control tax refund work, implement anti-fraud solutions in tax refund work, ensure tax exemption, reduction and refund to the right beneficiaries.

Focusing on drug control

Assessing the situation of smuggling, trade fraud, and illegal transportation of goods by air, the leader of Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch said that taking advantage of Tan Son Nhat International Airport Son Nhat as the gateway for international trade with many flights and routes to other countries, drug traffickers often use air routes to illegally transport drugs from abroad into Vietnam or from Vietnam to other countries by using different the extremely diverse and sophisticated tricks and methods.

Drug seizures by Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch show that domestic and foreign drug traffickers often collude closely with each other, forming transnational organized crime gangs operating extremely aggressively and recklessly. Drug criminals always carefully research and thoroughly take advantage of policies that create favorable conditions for businesses and passengers in import and export activities to hide and carry drugs with different methods and tricks. They often declare wrong goods names, declare goods subject to the Green channel to hide drugs in goods with empty compartments such as machinery, loudspeakers, LED lights, or hide drugs in carton boxes, suitcases, double bottom suitcases; hide drugs in cosmetics, shampoo, soap, candy, all kinds of food.

Over the past 8 months, the department presided over and coordinated with other authorities to seize 27 cases of illegal drug transportation violations by air (only at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, the unit handled 21 cases, arrested 12 suspects, and seize nearly 63kg of drugs of all kind.

Determining anti-drug as a special professional task, with the participation and coordination of authorities inside and outside the industry, Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch has maintained and participated in coordination and complied with regulations among authorities, creating cohesion and intimacy, and strengthened exchange of information , which have helped the Branch always get valuable and reliable information for the fight against drugs; implemented the unit's thematic plans on preventing and combating smuggling and illegal transportation of drug, precursors, narcotics, etc.

To improve the effectiveness of fighting against smuggling in the last months of the year, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department continues to maintain cooperation with competent agencies to create favorable conditions in the work of sanctioning administrative violations of customs and advising on anti-smuggling. At the same time, the department will prepare a preliminary conference to review the implementation of the Coordination Regulation between Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department and Ho Chi Minh City Police to evaluate and promote positive results, limit and overcome shortcomings in the coming time...