Remove officers who are corrupt and collude with criminals from the apparatus

	Border Defence force seizes more than 10 tonnes of narcotics in five years
	Customs prosecutes seven criminal cases in first quarter

Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh addressed the conference

This was directed by Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh, Head of the Steering Committee 138/CP and the National Steering Committee 389 at the preliminary conference for the first sixmonths of performance of the Steering Committee 138/CP and the National Steering Committee 389, taking place on this morning July 23.

Detect and handle 75,264 violations

At the conference, Minister of Finance DinhTien Dung, Deputy Head of Standing Committee of 389 National Steering Committee, reported the results of fighting against smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods.

The Steering Committee 389 of ministries, sectors and localities implemented synchronously and drastically performed, so many violations were detected and many groups of crimes and smuggling were tackled.

In the first six months of 2020,forces in the country handled 75,264 violations (decreasing by 12% compared to 2019), collected and contributed more than VND 11,291 billion to the State budget (upby 83% compared to the same period in 2019), prosecuted 1,128 cases (downby 14% compared to the same period in 2019) and 1,346 objects (declining by 13% compared to 2019).

On the northern border route, the smuggling and illegal transportation of goods, trade fraud and counterfeit goods have increased a gain, especially consumer goods, clothing, toys and electronic products.

For border routes, border gates and localities in central Vietnam - Central Highlands, smuggling activities mainly focus on foreign liquor, sugar, cigarettes, cosmetics, consumer goods, forestry products, firecrackers, kid toys; trafficking and illegal transportation of wild and precious and rare wildlife products (pangolin scales, ivory products, etc.).

For air and post routes, smuggled goods are transported to warehouses of post offices, of aviation service companies and logistic companies and then goods are transported to post offices for delivery to customers. Smuggled goods are mainly clothing, shoes, cosmetics, supplemental foods, kid toys and electronic components.

For sea and seaport routes, the smuggling of petroleum increases. Although the price of local petroleum products continues to fall, it is still higher than world and regional prices. Smugglers abuse fishery logistics enterprises in coastal provinces and remodeled iron shell ships to buy smuggled petroleum products fromforeign ships to sell to fishing ships.

In the inland, counterfeit goods are mainly made in China, and then smuggled into Vietnam as finished products or raw materials for packing, affecting consumer health, damage to reputation and brand of businesses, causing concern in public opinion.

The conference. Photo.

Signs of covering up and protecting crime

At the conference, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh praised the achievements of central and local the Steering Committees in recent times.

The prevention of smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods has been directed but has not yet made a fundamental change because it has not mobilised the synergy of both the political system and the entire society; heads of Party committees and local governments are not drastic in leadership and direction. Some officers lack responsibility and violate working regulations and have signs of colluding with crimes, law violation and corruption in task performing. In some areas, administrative disciplinehasnot been abided by, responsibility of the heads has not been enhanced; some administrative provisions related to prevention and combat of crime, smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods are loopholes, especially, provisions related to the determination of origin and counterfeit goods.

In the near future Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh asks ministries, sectors and localities to focus on performing the following key tasks:

Firstly, continue to drastically and effectively follow the directions of the Government, the Prime Minister, and National Steering Committee 389 on prevention and combat crime, smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods and consider as a key and political task of ministries, sectors and localities.

Second, the ministries and branches report and coordinate with the Standing Agency on plans on smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods; regularly review, promptly detect to rectify and remove obstacles to enhance effectiveness and efficiency of State management in the field of security, order, combat smuggling, trade fraud and fake goods.

Third, effectively implement prevention and combat of crime, smuggling and trade fraud in the competent forces, strictly handle violation and remove officers who are corrupt and collude with criminals and violate out of the apparatus.

Fourth, perform social crime prevention, the reception and handling information and criminal denunciations, law violations to prevent and enhance quality of investigation and detection of cases. Organised crime and smuggling, especially smuggling of petroleum products, minerals, tobacco, sugar, fertilisers, production and trading of counterfeit goods need to be investigated to tackle and strictly handle perpetrators.

Fifth, continue to review and perfectlaw provisions related to prevention and combat of crime, smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods, strengthen sanctions to prevent violation effectively; expand international cooperation, including focusing on researching, proposing negotiations, signing or acceding to international treaties and agreements on the prevention and combat of crime, smuggling, trade fraud and fake goods.

Sixth, focus on renovating and raising the effectiveness of publicity and education, raising legal awareness; promote the entire population to participate in preventing and combating crime, smuggling, trade fraud and fake goods.