Long An law enforcement agencies prevent and tackle dealers and large-scale smuggling rings

The suspect and cigarettes are seized by the police force of Long An province on June 30, 2023. Photo: CTV

Seizing smuggled and counterfeit goods

Reporting on the results of the fight against smuggling, trade fraud, and counterfeit goods in the first half of 2023, the People's Committee of Long An province said that the law enforcement forces in the province have actively developed plans and special task projects to tackle dealers and large-scale smuggling rings.

Notably, although law enforcement forces have strictly patrolled and prevented the transportation of smuggled cigarettes across the border, the situation still takes place due to many factors.

For example, on March 15, the police of Tan Long Commune, Thu Thua District arrested a suspect and seized 23,500 packs of foreign cigarettes and one car.

On April 24, the Border Guard talked about a LA 23 special case and arrested 57,100 packs of smuggled foreign cigarettes.

In June, when patrolling on Provincial Road 838C My Quy Dong commune, Duc Hue district, Long An province, the local police detected a car, license plate 71A-05209 showing suspicious signs, and inspected the car. The force discovered about 9,000 packages of Jet cigarettes and arrested Ly Anh Tuan, 36, residing in An Ninh Tay commune, Duc Hoa district, Long An province.

On June 17, the Anti-Smuggling team of Vinh Long Provincial Police coordinated with Duc Hoa Police District to arrest two suspects as Thach Van Thien, 26, transporting 9,000 packages of smuggled cigarettes by car, and Van Hoang Son, 26, transporting 10,000 packages of smuggled cigarettes by car.

Recently, law enforcement forces have discovered violations related to items such as fertilizers, plant protection products, animal feed, and aquatic feed...Violations take place on a large scale and are related to many organizations and individuals.

On June 28, the forces inspected an enterprise in Duc Hoa district and discovered that this company produced fertilizers without a permit for trading in Viet Nam. At the same time, the company produced and traded fertilizers that are labeled inconsistent with regulations on goods labels.

Therefore, Long An Provincial People's Committee issued a decision to fine the company VND166 million and enforced it to pay back VND36.4 million of the value of goods that were illegally consumed. This company was also subject to an additional penalty of deprivation of the right to use the certificate of eligibility for fertilizer production for nine months.

Closely collaborating

According to the Steering Committee 389 of Long An province, the smuggling, commercial fraud, production and trading of counterfeit goods, poor-quality goods, and tax and customs frauds in the province are still complicated. Smuggled goods mainly are sugar, firecrackers, and cigarettes. Violations mainly are related to the agricultural sector; online trading...

It is forecasted that in the near future, smuggling activities of drugs and cattle across the border will tend to increase and become complicated. Smugglers take advantage of the land terrain, rivers adjacent rivers with few passersby to transport banned and smuggled goods across the border.

Facing the situation, the Steering Committee 389 of Long An province said that it would drastically follow the Directives, Resolutions, and directing documents of the Government, the Prime Minister, ministries and agencies, and the National Steering Committee 389. The local Steering Committee 389 directed forces of Border Guard, Customs, Police, and Market Surveillance, to closely and effectively deploy solutions to combat smuggling activities in border and sea routes. The provincial police requested operational units and local police to make plans for tackling groups and rings of smuggling and manufacturing fake goods.

Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Head of Steering Committee 389 of Long An Province Nguyen Van Ut said agencies at all levels of Long An Province need to determine that the fight against smuggling, commercial fraud, and counterfeit goods is a key task. In addition, all local agencies need to focus on disseminating policies and laws and urge people not to participate in or support smuggling, trade fraud, and trading in counterfeit goods, thereby expanding effective methods of preventing and combating crime and smuggling.