Smuggled cigarettes are “hot” in some border areas of Long An near Tet

Subjects and exhibits of the case of transporting 13,500 packs of smuggled foreign cigarettes which were arrested on January 17, 2023.

Implementing the peak plan of anti-smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods before, during and after the Lunar New Year 2023, at 3:50 am, on January 17, 2023, while patrolling and controlling Highway 62, in the area of Quarter 4, Ward 1, Kien Tuong town, Long An province, Kien Tuong town police discovered a truck with license plated No. 71H - 005.87 by driver Tran Chi Phuong (was born in 1977, living in the Tam Phuoc commune, Chau Thanh district, Ben Tre province) which travelled from Kien Tuong town to Tan An city showing suspicious signs, so the vehicle was stopped for inspection by competent force.

Through inspection, competent force discovered that 13,500 packs of foreign cigarettes of unknown origin were hidden in paper boxes disguised with bags of coconut coir. The subject confessed that he was on the way to transport these smuggled foreign cigarettes for consumption.

Kien Tuong town police hold custody of all means, exhibits and violators for further investigation and handling following the law.

Previously, in the early days of the new year 2023, in some bordering areas on the borderline in Duc Hue district, Long An province, competent forces coordinated to arrest several people transporting smuggled cigarettes. Smugglers use motorboats and motorbikes to pass through many routes adjacent to the border to transport smuggled goods for consumption near the Lunar New Year.

Long An Market Surveillance Force seized the object and 5,500 packs of smuggled cigarettes during the peak period of Tet 2023.

Typically, on January 3, 2022, the economic policy of Duc Hue district discovered a driver who controls a composite plastic-shell motorboat running at high speed and carrying many suspected smuggled goods while performing anti-smuggling duty. In pursuit, the competent forces arrested Nguyen Van Be (33 years old, living in Hamlet 1, Binh Hoa Hung commune, Duc Hue district) with a motorboat carrying 3,500 packages of smuggled foreign cigarettes.

Also, in the Duc Hue district on January 2, police forces coordinated to arrest Tran Van Huyen (34 years old) while driving a car transporting 7,000 packs of foreign cigarettes. An hour later, the economic policy of Duc Hue district checked a tourist car and discovered it was carrying 2,300 packages of smuggled cigarettes.

At the same time, competent forces seized a motorbike carrying 1,400 packages of foreign cigarettes in Dong Thanh town, Duc Hue district. It is known that the subject abandoned the vehicle to escape.

In the area of Duc Hoa district, recently, the Market Surveillance Team No. 1, the Long An Market Surveillance Department, seized a vehicle with license plate No.51K-207.05, driven by Vuong Hoang Quan. He transported 5,500 packs of foreign-made cigarettes without additional labels in Vietnamese and without health warnings. Market Surveillance Team No. 1 has handed over the case to the investigative police agency of Duc Hoa District Police for criminal prosecution following regulations.