Lang Son Customs: deployment for preventing smuggled goods in the month of December

Customs - Border Defense control force of Chi Ma coordinated to inspect at trails. Photo: H.Nụ

Outbreaks at the trails, road openings

As reported by the Customs News reporter, at some border gates in Lang Son province at the end of the year, the situation of smuggling and illegal transporting goods through the trail shows signs of outbreak. The smuggled goods are mostly handled by owners. They took advantage of borderline occupants who are unemployed or have difficult living conditions, to hire them for transporting smuggled goods. Those people waited for the night, and when the competent forces were not on patrol, they would transport the smuggled goods. Each pack weighs from 50 to 70 kg and was transported on the trail, mountain cliffs along the border such as Goc Nhan, Goc Buoi, Ba Lan ravine, trail 386 (Tan My, Van Lang area); On the slope of 05, 06, (Dong Dang town, Cao Loc), some trails in Yen Khoai, Tu Mich, Tam Gia communes of Loc Binh district.

Smugglers also rented residencies and houses to use as storage yards, waited for gathering all the goods then quickly transferred to motorcycle and transported to inland. After that, subjects would use sales invoices, VAT invoices of some business households in Dong Dang district or in border markets to legalize the origin of goods for transporting to the provinces for consumption.

Talking to Customs News reporters, Mr. Nguyen Quang Bach, Deputy Manager of Coc Nam Customs Branch said that, in order to fight with smuggling activities, the units have organized to patrol and take 24/24 hour shifts at the control points on the border where the forces are lighly manned, have lack of equipment, and are deployed in large and rugged areas. Despite strengthening forces and maintaining the control station, by using sophisticated tricks the smuggling activities have occurred even though they are fragmented and small, it caused many difficulties for the struggle and prevention.

According to the representative of Lang Son Customs Department, the situation of smuggling, trade fraud and illegal transport of goods across borders, trade in banned goods, counterfeit goods, infringements of intellectual property rights (IPR), and drugs, is still continuing to occur complicatedly in the months leading up to the Lunar New Year in 2019, with sophisticated methods and tricks. Smugglers will seek to open more trails to transport smuggled goods across the border to disperse and avoid strict control by the competent forces. In addition, Vietnamese and Chinese residents across the borders have increased the volume of trading and business operations on this occasion, thus it makes the work of inspection and control of people, means of transport and goods cross border more difficult.

Control 24/24

Deputy Director of Lang Son Customs Department Le Duc Tho said that in order to prevent violations in time, the unit closely follows the plans and directions of the higher level, has synchronously implemented measures, and are determined to prevent illegal transport of goods cross border. At the same time, strengthening the close coordination with competent forces, focusing on leaders of smuggling lines to fight and destroy points of smuggling at the border, resolutely preventing the formation of trade points and transporting smuggled goods. Besides that, strictly handling cases of smuggling, transport of prohibited goods, infringements of intellectual property, including criminal treatment, in order to deter the acts of smuggling and trade frauds.

"In particular, in order to prevent and fight smuggling on the border line to achieve high efficiency in the remaining weeks of the year, Lang Son Customs force has arranged 24/24 strict control in the hot spots, such as at the two sides of the border gate and the trails and openings on the border, to strictly supervise and handle smuggling acts, especially for the transportation of prohibited goods such as firecrackers, drugs, counterfeit money ... from China to Vietnam. Organizing to set up control stations at critical points in order to prevent smuggling and transporting smuggled goods through the area. In addition, the Customs forces is also intensifying the inspections of areas where the goods come from, especially inspections of warehouses in border areas in order to detect and promptly handle acts of storage, trading and transport of illegal goods," representative of Lang Son Customs Department said.

Also, according to Mr. Le Duc Tho, Lang Son Customs has directed the border gate units to strengthen inspection and control of import - export goods. Carrying out professional measures, inspecting and controlling closely, preventing acts of smuggling and illegal transportation of goods through trails, open border areas, for detecting, arresting and handling strictly acts of price frauds, violations related to permits, quality, conformity, and compliance. Key items are consumer goods, fabrics, cosmetics, fertilizers, pesticides, machinery, equipment and accessorizes.