Kien Giang: Smuggling is more sophisticated

	Smuggling continues in Kien Giang
	Seizing more than 1.2 tons of smuggled wastage
	Part 2: The “process” of sugar smuggling in An Giang

Customs officers of Ha Tien Border Gate use a sniffing dog for inspection.

Act spontaneously and recklessly

Since the beginning of the year, agencies of Kien Giang Province have tackled 1,000 violations, with the value of infringing goods VND 15 billion, of which competent forces that play a leading role are Police, Customs, Border Guard, Coast Guard and Market Surveillance.

According to the Steering Committee 389 of Kien Giang province, the smuggling and illegal cross-border transportation of goods at targeted areas is still a problem. The arrest results are not commensurate with the actual situation because smugglers use sophisticated tricks and change methods to illegally transport goods. Smugglers drive motorbikes at high speed to transport contraband goods, causing difficulties for competent forces.

Senior Lieutenant Colonel Tran Bang Duc, Deputy Head of Anti-Crime Division of Kien Gian Border Guard said that at Ha Tien Border Guard, the Border Guard and Customs forces patrolled and controlled regularly as well as in peak periods. However, smugglers are very reckless, they often incited people to surround and grab infringing goods. In many cases, smugglers even fight the anti-smuggling force. For example, in the arrest of 300 kg of Thai sugar and 1,000 packages of cigarettes, Ha Tien Anti-smuggling Team was surrounded by 80 suspects to wrest smuggled goods and fight the team’s officers, causing four Border Guard officers to be injured. So far, 12 anti-smuggling officers and soldiers in Ha Tien Border Gate have been attacked. Suspects used motorbikes to prevent and incited women and children to shout and even threw stones at competent forces.

Facing this situation, Kien Giang province has equipped more tools for the anti-smuggling force such as helmets, armour and camera, contributing to protecting this force and promptly handling spontaneous acts and fighting against officials. However, according to authorities, the core problem of fighting officials at Ha Tien Border is border residents consider goods smuggling their livelihood, they have to fight against and incited people to wrest infringing goods because it is associated with their benefits. Currently, propaganda and changing job for border residents is ineffective, so people continue smuggling and abetting smuggling.

Smuggled sugar is gathered to transport inland at Kien Giang border.

Drug crime has signs of increase

At the end of August, competent forces made a plan to seize and prosecute two suspects storing drugs. In the first case, on August 27, the Police and Border Guard forces arrested Nguyen Van Ha born in 1985, residing in Dong Ho Ward, Ha Tien City who was illegally hiding drugs; and seized four packages of synthetic drug weighing 6, 3104 grams. The competent forces implemented body search, vehicles and made a report to arrest this suspect. After initial investigation, Ha Tien Border Guard Station prosecuted the case. On August 8, competent forces arrested Ho Van Loc, born in 1995, residing in Vinh Phu commune, Giang Thanh district for illegally storing drugs and seized one bag of synthetic drugs, weighing 0.2725 grams. Vinh Dieu Border Guard Station prosecuted and investigated according to its competency. Previously, at Ha Tien border area, Ha Tien Border Gate Customs Department discovered and arrested a suspect transporting 850 grams of dried marijuana hidden under seafood boxes. The case was transferred to Ha Tien City Police for investigation.

At the meeting on propagandising to prevent drugs held by the Anti-smuggling and Investigation Department (under the General Department of Vietnam Customs), Kien Giang Customs Department and the People's Committee of Ha Tien City in the Ha Tien on September 19, Nguyen Van Lich, Deputy Director of the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department, said cross-border drug crime is complicated, including the Ha Tien-Kien Giang border and Kien Giang coastal area. In addition to transporting goods via roads, border gates, drug smugglers also take advantage of fishing boats and ships to operate. Competent forces should strengthen coordination, information exchange as well as monitoring the situation from the masses of people to take effective struggle measures.

Competent forces of Kien Giang province have deployed plans to prevent and supervise to reduce smuggling, especially in the last months of the year.