Lao Cai Customs: Seize large quantity of smuggled crawfish

A shipment of exotic shrimp was seized by enforcement group – Lao Cai Customs Branch

This is the result of a peak period of struggling and crawfish appearing in Lao Cai province, in that Lao Cai Customs Branch has strengthened its reconnaissance force to patrol and control smuggling.

On May 12, 2019, Lao Cai Customs Branch coordinated with Border Defence force to seize 300kg of crawfish worth an estimated 75 million VND.

On the days of 13, 14, 15 and 18/5/2019, the Enforcement Group and Lao Cai Customs Branch strengthened the reconnaissance force and seized six cases of violations with a total of 645 kg of fresh crawfish, the estimated total value of 161.25 million VND.

According to Lao Cai Customs Branch at this time, the phenomenon of smuggling trading and transporting prohibited goods such as crawfish on the border line managed by the unit is quite complicated. Smugglers take advantage of the night or noon to transfer goods through border waterways and streams, this activity takes place very quickly, goods are also dispersed and hidden immediately after crossing the border.

Some groups also hid banned goods in ordinary goods that border residents are allowed to exchange. In this situation, Lao Cai Customs Branch directed the enforcement team to strengthen patrol and control work to detect, prevent and handle smuggling, trade frauds, illegal transportation of goods across borders as well as concentrating on control of food items.

Through finding, most of those buyers and sellers do not know this is an exotic species which isprohibited from production and businessby the Government. Therefore, besides strictly handling people who violate regulations, the propaganda to raise awareness of people, especially border residents about regulations, is very essential.

It is known that this is a strange shrimp species, which has recently appeared in the market. Mr. Nguyen Duy Trieu, aquaculture engineer, Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine (Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Lao Cai) said: “This was a aquatic species suspected crawfish. It has a violent expression which is classified by the authorities as an invasive exotic group in the Circular No. 35/2018/TT-BTNMTof Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment dated December 28, 2018.

The exotic species can be invasive or high-risk affecting biodiversity and ecological environment, so the Government has issued clear regulations on prohibiting transport, production and trading for the items listed in the list.