Kien Giang: Smuggling is still potentially complicated

	Kien Giang implements 180-day IUU fishing combat drive
	Kien Giang promotes trade, investment, tourism partnership with India

Kien Giang Customs officer inspect smuggled cigarettes.

Smuggling many items

On August 24, the Market Surveillance force detected a huge volume of smuggled goods including 7,800 foreign-made knives in Ha Tien City, Kien Giang province.

At the inspection time, all these goods have not included invoices and documents proving their legal origin and the legal owner. Currently, these smuggled goods have been seized for verification.

On Kien Giang Border, the quantity of seized smuggled cigarettes is increasingly. In mid-July, in My Duc ward, Ha Tien city, Ha Tien International Border Guard Force and PC03- Kien Giang Police discovered suspects transporting a huge volume of goods by motorbike from the border to the inland. When detecting the law enforcement force, these suspects left goods and quickly escaped to the neighboring border.

The working group chased and arrested one suspect and infringing goods and vehicles, seized 13 sacks including 13,000 packs of smuggled cigarettes. The arrested suspect’s name Ta Van Poi (57, residing in Thach Dong, My Duc ward, Ha Tien city, Kien Giang province). Poi admitted that he and other suspects were hired to transport cigarettes ts from Cambodia to the inland for consumption. This is the largest seizure of smuggled cigarettes so far this year in Ha Tien border area.

In addition to smuggled cigarettes, suspects smuggled and illegal transported goods across the border to get profit. Notably, Ha Tien Border Customs Branch (Kien Giang Customs Department) seized raw bird's nests across the border gate. On July 21, the Customs at Ha Tien Border Gate detected one suspect driving a motorbike across the border gate without customs declaration and showing suspected signs of transporting of smuggled goods. Through inspection, the suspect named Tan Ngit (Cambodia) said that the transported goods were two kilograms of raw bird's nest. Ha Tien Border Gate Customs Branch has made a record and seized infringing goods.

Responding to this situation, Kien Giang Customs Department has regularly coordinated with the Border Guard, Police, Market Surveillance... in exchanging and collecting information, and supervising land border crossings on smuggling, trade fraud, illegal transportation of goods, and strengthening the fight against smuggling and trade fraud against goods such as cigarettes, sugar... in Ha Tien Border Gate, Ben Xuong-Ha Tien, and Giang Thanh Border Gate.

Mr. Tran Sony, Manager of Ha Tien Border Gate Customs Branch said “the border gate area has many trails and open paths while the number of specialized officers performing customs control is insufficient for regular patrol and control, so the branch has closely supervised at border gates and collaborated with other authorities to exchange and provide information to prevent smuggling and illegal transportation of goods across border gates”.

Smuggling petroleum products still take places on sea

On the sea route, the situation that fishing ships have been remodeled for smuggling petroleum products, is increasingly complicated. From the beginning of August, many petroleum smuggling cases with large volume at Kien Giang sea have been seized by the local border guard. On August 16, the local border guard sized 8,000 liters of D.O oil without invoices or documents. The smuggled petroleum products were transported on ship KG 94337 captained by Van Van Thach, 48, residing in Vinh Hiep, Rach Gia, Kien Giang province. Van Van Thach said that the liquid in the compartments of the ship was DO oil without invoices or documents proving the legal origin.

Earlier, on August 10, in the sea area 15 nautical miles northwest of Tho Chu island, Border Guard Squadron 28 inspected and discovered ship KG 91602 TS operated by Le Van Hoang (45, residing in My Lam commune, Hon Dat district, Kien Giang province), transporting about 16,000 liters of DO oil.

At the time of inspection, captain Le Van Hoang could not present invoices or documents proving the legal origin of the infringing oil. On August 10, Border Guard Squadron 28 also discovered ship CM 92519 TS, captained by Tran Van Tuan (residing in Giac Tuong commune, Chau Thanh district, Kien Giang province) transporting about 18,000 liters of DO oil.

Currently, the Border Guard Squadron 28 has recorded administrative violations, and seized the infringing goods and means of transport for verification and investigation. In July, Kien Giang Border Guard detected many cases of petroleum smuggling at sea with about 100,000 liters of D.O. oil.

According to the assessment of law enforcement authorities of Kien Giang province, the petroleum trafficking often takes place in coastal areas adjacent to Vietnam with Thailand and Cambodia and is becoming more and more sophisticated. The means of transport are mostly remodeled fishing boats to transport smuggled petroleum. The local smugglers often connect with foreign smugglers to buy cheap oil to resell to domestic fishing vessels in need. The suspects also used tricks such as changing the name and number of the vehicle, the route, and turning off the navigation device to avoid the detection by the authorities.

It is forecast that in the last months of the year, the smuggling on Kien Giang border routes will continue to become complicated due to increased domestic demand. Local authorities drastically implement the instructions of the National Steering Committee 389, Kien Giang Provincial People's Committee as well as leaders of local government agencies to combat smuggling and illegal transportation of goods across the border.