“Motorbike taxi driver” or “beef noodle sellers” named as illegal exporters of more than 20 containers of copper scraps

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An illegally exported consignment of copper scraps was detected by the Anti-smuggling and Investigation Department

The investing police agency under Ho Chi Minh City Public Security had concluded the investigation on the illegal export of copper scraps and proposed the People's Procuracy of Ho Chi Minh City to prosecute Mai Phuoc Viet (born in 1970, residing in Tan Phu district) and Le Bao Thanh (born in1983, residing in Binh Thanh district) who were officers of Sai Gon Port Zone 4 Customs Branch (Ho Chi Minh city Customs Department) for their lack of responsibility, causing serious consequences".

Previously, through the investigation, Anti-smuggling and Investigation Department under General Department of Customs had discovered a personal non-commercial export consignment of industrial iron shelves which were disassembled and new 100%, weighed 22,850 kgs and worth US$ 21,600 and subject to a tax rate of 0% according to Declaration No. 97160037690 / H21 dated 23rd March 2016, opened at Saigon Port Zone 4 Customs Branch under name of Ly Quoc Hung (resided in Binh Tan District),

Detecting suspicious signs of the consignment, Anti-smuggling and Investigation Department had coordinated with the Saigon Port Zone 4 Customs Branch to monitor and invite Mr. Ly Quoc Hung to its office. However, Mr. Hung refused to visit the office; the Department had issued a decision on inspection.

Through the inspection, the Department had discovered that 23 tons of disassembled industrial iron shelves were actually copper scraps subject to export a tax rate of 22%. The shipment was valued at about VND1.8 billion (excluding VAT and shipping costs).

The competent authorities had also discovered that earlier, Mr. Hung also opened 13 other Customs Declarations. All of these Customs Declarations were cleared at Saigon Port Zone 4 Customs Branch to export goods abroad. These 13 declarations stated that the goods were iron industrial shelves and steel rolling mills subject to a tax rate of 0%, but actually on the bills of lading, the goods were copper scraps and mixed metal scraps subject to a tax rate of 22% .

Nearly a month later, on 6th April 2016, the Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department continued to detect a shipment of 25.6 tons of copper scraps worth VND 1.45 billion, smuggled by the same trick for customs clearance.

The name of this consignment was Mrs. Le Thuy Huynh, beef noodle seller whose home is at Buu Dinh Street, Ward 5, District 6, Ho Chi Minh City. Being interviewed by the police, Mrs. Huynh also said that she did not know anything about the consignment.

In November 2016, Anti-smuggling and Investigation Department under General Department of Customs issued a decision to prosecute for a criminal case and transferred the dossier to the investing police agency under Ho Chi Minh City Public Security for investigation. According to the valuation of the property, the above consignment was worth nearly VND 1.8 billion (excluding VAT and shipping costs).

Receiving the case from the Anti-smuggling and Investigation Department, the investing police agency further verified that Mrs. Huynh was also named on 6 other consignments of copper scraps which had been exported abroad successfully.

Working with the police, Mr. Ly Quoc Hung said that he was a motorbike taxi driver and did not know about these export consignments. Results of the verification also concluded that the signature and writing on the 14 customs declarations were not Mr. Hung's.

As a result, the investing police agency identified that Mr. Hung who was named on 14 Customs export declarations, and Mrs. Huynh who was named on 7 Customs export declarations of copper scraps had signatures different from the signatures on the Customs declarations. To this date, the investigating police agency has only identified that Mai Phuoc Viet and Le BaoThanh lacked responsibility for clearance of 2 containers, causing a tax loss of over VND 858 million. There has not been enough of a basis to blame responsibility on Viet and Thanh as well as other Customs officers for evading the tax amount of the successfully exported shipments.

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Thus, 21 containers of copper scraps were illegally exported by motorbike taxi driver and beef noodle seller.