Noi Bai Customs strengthens control over the Lunar New Year

	Customs implements peak plan on fighting against smuggling at the end of the year
	Illegal transportation of firecrackers near Lunar New Year 2020
	Customs: Focusing on smuggling during Lunar New Year 2020

Handicraft products made from ivory were discovered and seized by the Hanoi Customs Department in coordination with other forces on November 9, 2019.

According to Deputy Manager of the Customs Branch of Noi Bai International Airport, Nguyen Xuan Tien, closely following the peak plan to fight smuggling, trade frauds, counterfeit goods and illegal cross-border transportation of goods before, during and after the Lunar New Year 2020 of the Hanoi Customs Department, the branch has developed a action programme and plan at Noi Bai International Airport.

Measures have been implemented such as: using customs database to identify key objects as well as key routes and key items, from which the branch will assign officers to strictly control the suspects, while ensuring fast clearance.

“We arrange public officials to work in two shifts continuously at all locations and stations to best serve passengers, and handle import and export procedures for businesses quickly. At the same time, we are strengthening control and applying risk management to identify key objects to control activities of foreign visitors, as well as goods cleared at Noi Bai international airport border gate,” Tien said.

At the airport border gate, the flow of entry and exit passengers and import and export goods is regular and continuous; smugglers take advantage of this route to commit violations. Tien said smugglers are becoming more sophisticated and more reckless, with signs of operation in smuggling groups and lines, while information collection still faces many difficulties. The customs force is still thin, so there are many limitations in fighting smuggling and trade fraud.

“In addition, some businesses take advantage of the risk management mechanism to intentionally misrepresent the goods names or declare goods in a generic way to be classified into the Green and Yellow channels, avoiding the customs control to conduct smuggling," said Tien.

Noi Bai Customs has detected more than 60 cases of violations, four cases of smuggling and illegal cross-border transportation of goods and currencies. Notably, offenders use many sophisticated tricks to bypass authorities such as hiding rhino horns into wet plaster or using gas tanks to conceal the infringing materials to avoid customs screening.

However, according to Tien, the fight against smuggling and trade fraud in the area still faces difficulties. Specifically, smuggled goods, goods banned from transporting through the Noi Bai international airport border gate via carry-on baggage and check-in baggage of those who go on travel or to study or work abroad are hidden in personal belongings and sophisticatedly packed to hide the true image through scanners at the airport.

"When the infringing shipment is discovered by Customs, the subjects refuse to receive the goods, as a results, customs cannot arrest smugglers as well as treat them," Tien said.

In 2019, many cases of smuggling and illegal cross-border transportation of goods have been seized and handled by Customs force of Noi Bai International Airport in coordination with other authorities, of which, key products relatied to wildlife products.

Most recently, On November 7 and 9, the Customs Branch of Noi Bai International Airport in coordination with other authorities seized two cases of transporting wildlife products including 1.8 rhino horns and seven handicraft statues made from ivory, weighing 4.22kgs.

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Earlier, in July 2019, the branch also coordinated with authorities to detect and seize 55 rhino horn pieces hidden in plaster blocks with a weight of 126.5kgs.

In April 2019, the branch in coordination with other authorities detected 13 rhino horns weighing 14.62kgs