Ho Chi Minh City: Is it a popular area to gather smuggled goods?

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Cigars and foreign alcohol without receipts were discovered on April 6, 2023. Photo: L.T

Many warehouses contain infringing goods

On April 6, Market Management Team No. 3 (Ho Chi Minh City Market Management Department) coordinated with the Ho Chi Minh City Police to inspect the business location Area 3 Center of Logistics V. One Member Limited Company in Highway 1A, Quarter 2, Trung My Tay Ward, District 12, Ho Chi Minh City, detected and temporarily seized 6,877 imported cigars of all kinds; six bottles of wine branded Johnnie Walker Blue Label from Scotland; 74,400 units of imported children's toys of all kinds, without the CR mark, without accompanying quality documents and 700 boxes of food supplements branded BITNEY Multi Juice, made in Malaysia.

According to a representative of Market Management Team No. 3, all of the above goods were manufactured by foreign countries and were seized by the task force at the gathering and transshipment center of Logistics V. These goods will be shipped to many provinces and cities at the request of the sender. At the time of inspection, the authorities had not identified the owner of the seized shipment because the owner had not come to work and provided invoices and documents related to the shipment as prescribed.

Although the value of the cigar shipment has not been determined, it is a relatively large shipment. Currently, Ho Chi Minh City authorities are verifying and clarifying the case.

Recently, the functional forces of Ho Chi Minh City have discovered many warehouses storing and gathering imported goods, without invoices and documents to prove the origin, with signs of smuggled goods. Previously, on April 4, the Market Management Team No. 2 (under the Ho Chi Minh City Market Management Department) inspected 2 branches of ANT Construction Development Investment Co., Ltd in Hoc Mon district, Ho Chi Minh City by Mr. Nguyen Thanh An as Director, discovered two warehouses containing infringing imported goods, worth nearly 1.9 billion VND.

Specifically, at the warehouse of Branch 1 (address 47/2 Thoi Tam Thon 13, Tam Dong hamlet, Thoi Tam Thon commune, Hoc Mon district, Ho Chi Minh City) the inspection team discovered more than 4,100m2 of polycarbonate roofing sheets of all kinds, made in Malaysia, unused, with original foreign language label but no Vietnamese sub-label.

At the time of inspection, the representative of this establishment could not present invoices and documents proving the origin of goods. The total value of goods at the listed price is more than 742 million VND. Continuing to inspect the warehouse at Branch 3 (address at 81 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Hoc Mon Town, Hoc Mon District, Ho Chi Minh City), the inspection team discovered more than 6,300m2 of roofing sheets, worth over VND 1.1 billion that is also violated as the above shipment.

The number of detections increased by more than 1.5 times

According to the assessment of leaders of the HCM City Market Management Department, since the Lunar New Year, the gathering of smuggled goods, goods of non-origin, and counterfeit goods in the area has remained complicated. The unit has organized many delegations to inspect the market. During the launch in early March 2023, the market management force discovered and seized nearly 1,000 imported products of milk powder, wine, barley, and coffee powder, without invoices and documents for sale at stores.

According to the leader of the HCM City Market Management Department, the unit has directed the Market Management Teams to strengthen area management, and clearly identify key areas and key products, so the inspection and control should be carried out effectively.

In the first quarter of 2023, the unit inspected and detected 714 violations (up 156.83% over the same period last year); the total number of cases of fine collection and payment to the state budget is 719 cases, the collection and payment to the state budget is over 16 billion VND (increasing by 167.02% over the same period last year); destroy counterfeit goods, prohibited goods, goods not eligible for circulation valued at over VND 11 billion; The value of confiscated goods waiting to be sold is about 94.5 billion VND. Notably, in the first quarter of this year, the HCM City Market Management Department transferred the proceedings-conducting agency to consider prosecuting criminal cases for three serious violations.

For smuggled goods, the HCM City market management force inspected and handled 201 cases of trading in smuggled goods, and temporarily seized 254,335 units of infringing products, including medical instruments, new drugs, and vehicle parts, auto parts, cosmetics, food, etc with a total value of infringing goods estimated at more than 7.5 billion VND. In addition, the unit inspected and handled 262 violations of goods with unknown origin, seized 322,616 units of personal appliances, chemicals, household electrical goods, household goods, cosmetics, and electronic components, etc with the total value of infringing goods estimated at more than 7.4 billion VND.

In addition to cigarettes, the Market Management Teams also strengthened the inspection of organizations and individuals trading new-generation tobacco products both in the traditional and e-commerce markets. Specifically, it inspected and handled 18 violations, and seized 1,298 packs of cigarettes and 2,011 units of e-cigarette products and essential oils. Particularly for granulated sugar in the first quarter of 2023, 12 violations have been inspected and handled. Over 61 tons of granulated sugar have been seized without invoices and documents, and of unknown origin.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Market Management, in the future, the market management teams will continue to strengthen monitoring of the area, directing the inspection and control of the market, and handling the fight and prevention of counterfeit goods, goods with unknown origin and goods infringing intellectual property rights; especially will consolidate the file, transfer the authorities to criminal prosecution for serious violations.

In the first three months of 2023, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department chaired, coordinated, detected and handled a total of 665 cases of customs law violations, with an estimated value of infringing goods of VND 742.24 billion. Customs authorities prosecuted 1 case, transferred to other agencies to propose to prosecute 14 cases.