Lang Son Custom Department: Strengthen anti-smuggling at trails, paths

Tan Thanh Customs Branch collaborated to seize 600 kg of firecrackers. Picture: H.Nụ

Detecting many shipments are abandoned goods

In recent months, the units of the Lang Son Customs Department have seized a dozen cases of shipments without owners at the trails, paths. The seized shipments are usually transported by night, lunch break, or when being chased by the task forces, the violators tried to leave the goods and fled to China. Head of Tan Thanh Customs Department Nguyen Bao Ngoc shared, in order to seize these goods, the unit must organize reconnaissance, but when seizing these goods, most of them are abandoned goods.

As on October 9, 2017, the Task Force of the Customs and Police detained and seized 60 kg of synthetic fabrics; 207 non-stick pan, 180-foot mats at Keo Hill and Cao High (near Tan Thanh border gate). When seeing the functional force, the driver team left the cargos to fled into China. Earlier, on October 5, 2017, during the patrolling at the road in the northern branch, Zone 1, Tan Thanh commune, Van Lang district, Lang Son province, the functional team discovered 90 bags (without owners) containing 2,700 kg of electronic guns (pistons) produced by foreigners. On October 25, the Anti-Smuggling Committee collaborated with the Supervision Team of Canh Nam Customs Sub-Department detected 1 shipment consisting of 30 packages without owners to carry out the import procedures at the Thang Long gathering point of goods in import and export, located in Cua Nam. By inspection, 30 packages are firecrackers with 1 cm in diameter, 20 cm in length, wrapped in yellow paper on the package labeled Birthday Candle with a total weight of 1 ton.

According to Director of Customs Department of Cua Nam border gate Nguyen Van Chuong, the arrest, and handling of violators of illegal transportation of goods across the border have encountered many difficulties because the most of the owners of arrested goods have not appeared. The traffickers are mainly local people or border residents, so it is sometimes difficult to handle. From the beginning of the year, the Department has discovered, arrested and handled 44 cases of smuggling and trade frauds, of which 19 cases were abandoned goods, only 25 cases were administrative punishment.

A series of smuggling and illegal goods transported by the Lang Son Customs Department show that smugglers are taking advantages of various paths and trials for illegal cross-border movement of goods with many sophisticated forms of hiding to mislead the functional forces.

In particular, the traders are often less appearance, mainly dealing by telephone, then renting traffickers with complex personalities elsewhere to the border area to do business with local people, then they will go to China for buying goods and transporting to Vietnam. At night or before the dawn, the header will command these smugglers to take advantage of the difficult terrain to carry goods over the mountains, avoiding the control posts of the functional forces. In particular, grocery items, household goods, electronics, clothes... are always attractive for smugglers because of cheap prices, which is quite high different compared to the domestic market.

Statistics show that, from the beginning of the year, units in the whole Department have discovered, arrested and handled nearly 500 cases of smuggling, trade fraud and violations of customs procedures; with the estimated proof value is over 9.1 billion vnd. Of which, there are 350 cases of customs administrative violations, the rest are smuggling, illegal cross-border goods transportation, intellectual property infringement; Forbidden goods such as drugs, counterfeit money, firecrackers...

According to the Customs Department of Lang Son, since July 2017, the smuggling activities, illegal transport of goods through the trails, the shortage of two sides of the border tend to reduce after the National Steering Committee 389 planned to fight against smuggling, trade frauds and counterfeit goods at border gates, trails in some northern border provinces. The anti-smuggling control unit of Lang Son Customs Department has coordinated closely with the working groups, the National Steering Committee 389 of Lang Son province and functional forces in the area to organize surveillance and patrolling to control and prevent smuggling.

In addition, border-gate customs sub-departments and customs control teams organize and coordinate with the inter-branch inspection teams, mobile supervision groups, patrol teams of the Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department in supervising, patrolling within 24/ 24h in key areas, in the area of customs operations and adjacent areas. Thereby, preventing and fighting smuggling and illegal activities effectively.

Set-up checkpoints for 24/24h

It is predicted that the smuggling, illegal transportation of goods across the border at the trails, paths on the two sides of the border gate will become more complicated by the end of the year, the smugglers will try to open another trail for transporting illegal goods across the border to disperse and avoid the strict control of functional forces. In addition, Vietnamese and Chinese residents will cross the border for trading and be doing business on this occasion, making cross-border inspection and control of people and vehicles more difficult.

Under this situation, Lang Son Customs Department has issued a plan to fight against smuggling, trade fraud, fake goods before and after the Lunar New Year.

Accordingly, the units are assigned in each specific area in charge for strengthening inspection and controlling of export goods. Carrying out professional measures, inspecting and controlling closely, preventing activities of smuggling and illegal transportation of goods through trails, paths in the border areas, detecting, arresting and handling strictly the violations; setting-up checkpoints to prevent smuggling. Strengthening the inspection force of goods delivery areas, cargo transshipment points such as Dong Dang town area, Cao Loc district... Especially, inspecting the warehouses at the border gate to distribute goods, to timely handle acts of harboring, trading or transporting smuggled goods.

At the same time, actively deploy 24/24h standing forces at the key trails; Strengthening the patrolling of unmarked trails, far from border areas, especially preventing illegal immigration to limit border crossings for carrying illegal smuggled goods; intensifying the coordination in inspecting and controlling means of transport, destroying the lines and smuggling groups and transporting illegal goods across the area.

Being proactive in coordinating with the border guard force and intensifying the use of technical means, luggage scanners and canine dogs in the management of exit and entry passengers and checking luggage, means of entry and exit to promptly detect and prevent activities of violating the customs legislation and other criminal activities.