Lang Son Customs: Stressfully fighting against smuggling at the end of the year

	Smuggled fireworks from border areas
	Illicit food smuggling is “sophisticated”
	Many sophisticated forms of counterfeit production related to foreign factors

Customs officers of Huu Nghi border gate closely checking import and export goods. Picture: H.Nu.

The Lang Son Customs Department drastically took part and obtained remarkable results. However, the operation of crimes are still going on seriously and complicated in many border areas with increasingly sophisticated tricks. Under these circumstances, Lang Son Customs Department had plans to actively and drastically attack to prevent smuggling at the end of the year.

Through a series of cases of smuggling, trade fraud and illegal transportation of goods across the border, trading prohibited, fake goods, IPR infringements goods, and drugs which were detected and arrested by the Department of Lang Son Customs, consequently, illegal operation of goods transportation across the border through trails and open roads are mostly used by smugglers and hidden in various ways, in order to surpass the functional forces, particularly taking advantage of loopholes through e-customs procedures for illegal transportation of goods across the border. Notably, situations of trading, illegal transportation of drugs, fireworks in the border region of Lang Son province are still complicated. Although the functional forces in the province have strengthened checking, controlling the border, but due to high profit, these illegal acts are still going on with more sophisticated, reckless tricks.

Statistics show that, from the beginning of the year, all units in Lang Son Customs Department detected, arrested and settled 315 cases of smuggling, trade fraud and violations of Customs procedures; the exhibits estimately worth over 19.2 billion VND. Of these, 218 cases of Customs administration violations, approximately worth 12.9 billion VND; 10 cases of illegal transport across the border, worth 6.3 billion; 1 case (0.5 kg) of crystal meth, coordinately seized 15.8 kg of drug ; 3 IPR violations, counterfeit money, exhibits of 13,000 counterfeit shampoo packets; 18 other cases, 259.8 kg of fireworks ; prosecuted for 1 criminal cases. The Department also collaborated with the Department of Finance, 3.34 billion VND has been contributed to State funds (budget of the Province) by Provincial auction center after selling confiscated goods. In particular, the unit has collaborated with the Customs Departments of Bang Tuong - Nanning Customs(China) to exchange information of reports, thereby helping Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department (General Department of Vietnam Customs ) to seized timely the transportation of 15.8 kg of drugs in transit shipments from the Huu Nghi gate (China) through Huu Nghi border gate (Vietnam) to Cambodia, this was complimented by leader of the General Department of Vietnam Customs, Ministry of Finance and Government and appreciated by Chinese Customs.

Most recently, on 6/12/2016, in rural areas of Con Keo, Bao Lam commune, Cao Loc District of Lang Son, Customs Control Team hosted, collaborating with PA61 Division (Lang Son Police Department) seized 73 kg of fireworks.

According to the representative of Lang Son Customs Department, smuggling, trade fraud and illegal transportation of goods across the border, trading prohibited, fake goods, IPR infringements goods, and drugs are still complicated in the months close to Tet holiday of 2017 with methods, tricks increasingly sophisticated. The smugglers will seek to open some transportation trails for smuggled goods across the border to disperse and avoiding the strict control of the functional force. Besides, inhabitants of Vietnam and China crossing border areas for trading and business increases on this occasion, make the inspection and control of persons, vehicles and goods across the border meet more difficulties.

Deputy Director of Lang Son Customs, Mr Le Duc Tho said that, in the last few months of 2016, the operations of crime occurring are even more complicated. Therefore, the units of Lang Son Customs have to stick to the plans, direction of superiors, synchronously implement measures and resolutely prevent operations of illegal goods transportation across the border. At the same time, enhance collaboration with functional forces, focused on magnates, pulling down hotspots of smuggling in the border areas, determined to prevent the forming spots of trading and transporting smuggled goods. Besides, strictly handling the cases of smuggling and transport of illegal goods, IPR infringements goods including criminal penalties to deter the acts of smuggling and trade fraud. Blocking and erecting barricades at some critical points in the trail, to prevent smugglers transporting illegal goods.

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" Lang Son Customs also promotes activities of fighting against smuggling and trade fraud through e-customs procedures. Continuing to implement the control by the electronic clearance system VNACCS/VCIS to detect and fight against smuggling and trade fraud, counterfeiting, illegal transportation of narcotics, precursors. Coordinating and organizing successfully some external activities; enhancing interaction, cooperation, exchange of information with Nanning Chinese Customs in prevention and combating crime; thereby promoting and creating favorable conditions for import-export activities through the border gates to be faster and more efficient, "emphasized Mr Le Duc Tho.