Smuggling forecast for the Lunar New Year 2025 will be complicated

	MoF Steering Committee 389 launches a peak campaign against smuggling during Lunar New Year 2025
	Customs sector strengthens anti-smuggling during Lunar New Year

Professional activities of the Northern Sea Control Flotilla (Anti-smuggling and Investigation Department). Photo: T.Binh

New, more sophisticated tricks

The Steering Committee 389 of the Ministry of Finance assessed that in recent times, the situation of smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods continues to develop complicatedly on border routes, sea areas and inland areas, with new and more sophisticated methods and tricks.

It is forecasted that in the coming time, especially before, during and after the Lunar New Year of At Ty in 2025, smuggling activities will focus on consumer goods and essentials such as alcohol, beer, milk, sugar, cigarettes, confectionery, cosmetics, functional foods, medical supplies, mobile phones, gold, foreign currency, etc; prohibited goods such as drugs, weapons, firecrackers, wild animals, products made from wild animals to serve the market demand during the Lunar New Year.

To improve the effectiveness of the fight against smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods, protect the legitimate interests of individuals, organizations, production and business enterprises, consumer rights, contribute to stabilizing the domestic market and developing society; at the same time, to proactively control the situation, promptly detect and prevent acts of smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods, on December 3, 2024, the Steering Committee 389 of the Ministry of Finance issued a Plan for the peak of the fight against smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods before, during and after the Lunar New Year of At Ty in 2025.

The Steering Committee 389 of the Ministry of Finance requested relevant units to proactively control the situation, promptly detect, combat, prevent and strictly handle acts of smuggling, trade fraud, and illegal transportation of goods across the border; buying, selling, transporting, storing prohibited goods, smuggled goods, counterfeit goods, imitation goods, goods that do not meet conditions, standards, quality, goods that infringe intellectual property rights.

The implementation of the Plan must ensure compliance with legal regulations, create favorable conditions for production, business, import and export activities, not cause congestion of goods clearance at border gates, not affect or hinder normal, legal production, transportation, business, import and export of goods of organizations and individuals, etc.

Arrest and strictly handle violations

The Steering Committee 389 of the Ministry of Finance directed the General Department of Customs to continue to effectively organize and implement key tasks, complete professional targets in programs and plans on prevention and combat of smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods that have been developed and implemented by the General Department of Customs in 2024.

Perform professional work well, strengthen information collection, grasp the situation, patrol, control, identify key areas and routes such as border gate areas (on both sides, cargo gathering areas near the border, etc), seaports, international river ports, international civil airports, post offices, international express delivery, international railways and other locations within the customs operation area; strictly control import and export goods, transit goods, and luggage of passengers entering and leaving the country.

Organize the fight, arrest and strictly handle cases of smuggling, illegal transportation of prohibited goods, counterfeit goods, fake goods, poor quality goods, goods affecting security, order and social safety; strengthen strict control of imported, transited, temporarily imported, re-exported and transited goods, especially consumer goods, essential goods to serve the increased demand before, during and after Tet, goods at risk of smuggling, recirculation into the country, focusing on key points according to routes, goods and types.

Strengthen the application of professional measures to control drugs at all stages, routes and locations. Information related to illegal buying, selling and transporting of drugs must be handled promptly, secretly and strictly from the beginning to the end of the case. Ensure that information is not disclosed and the subject is arrested.

Focus on controlling, detecting and preventing drug crimes occurring in customs areas, especially in key areas such as Cao Bang, Nghe An, Dien Bien, Hanoi, Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, etc.

Actively coordinate with units under the Ministry of Finance (General Department of Taxation, Inspectorate, etc.) and other functional forces such as: Market Surveillance, Border Guard, Police, Coast Guard and local authorities to promptly share information, coordinate in fighting special cases, arresting subjects and violating goods, especially in fighting special cases on drugs.