Smuggling in Ha Tinh mainly takes place on land route

	Ha Tinh Customs effectively implements Customs-Business partnership
	Ha Tinh Customs increases revenue from administrative reform

Officers of Cau Treo Customs Branch use sniffing dogs to inspect vehicles on exit and entry. Photo: H.N

Most of smuggling occurs on land route

The trafficking of prohibited goods such as drugs and explosives in the first seven months of 2024 in Ha Tinh increased in both the number of cases and suspects. In addition, crimes of smuggling and illegal transportation of goods across borders are still complicated, especially smuggling of gold, foreign currency, and household appliances. Meanwhile, supportive equipment, vehicles and funds for combating the crimes of enforcement authorities are still limited.

Responding to the situation, Ha Tinh Customs Department has actively followed plans and directions of units and branches to promptly collect and handle information for customs control in the area.

The department has collected information on operation of enterprises, thereby analyzing evaluating and issuing warnings. At the same time, the department has provided information related to the smuggling, trade fraud or taking advantage of policies to commit fraud to relevant units to take appropriate control measures.

As of July, units and branches under Ha Tinh Customs Department handled 101 cases, including 85 cases of administrative violations with the fines of over VND853. 7 million; arrested 6 cases of smuggling and illegal transportation of goods across the border with infringing goods worth over VND7.4 billion; arrested 3 fireworks cases and 7 cases of illegal possession, trade, and transportation of drugs.

The units and branches seized 33 packages of goods, 50 kg of betalin veterinary antibiotics; 500 rounds of ammunition and 188 kg of explosive fireworks; 700 packs of Motx IQS electronic cigarettes; 92 rosewood bars worth VND264 million; 4.0397 kg of gold worth VND7.2 billion.

Notably, the transportation of prohibited goods, such as drugs and trading explosives across Cau Treo International Border Gate has posed challenges for the enforcement authorities. In April and May 2024 alone, the enforcement authorities discovered and arrested five cases of 16 suspects illegally transporting large quantities of drugs.

Recently, drug-related crimes in the area have established rings and gangs connecting with domestic and foreign suspects; and operated sophisticatedly. Instead of transporting goods across unofficial routes, currently, drug traffickers often use luxury cars, passenger cars, and tourist cars, and remodel these vehicles to hide drugs.

Closely control

At Cau Treo International Border Gate, the Customs-Border Guard forces have closely supervised and inspected goods, vehicles and passengers. The Customs authority have used sniffing dogs, devices and luggage scanners and taken measures to inspect vehicles and detect banned goods.

According to Mr. Le Minh Duc, Deputy Director of Ha Tinh Customs Department, in the last months of the year, Ha Tinh Customs continued to collect and process information related to import-export activities, smuggling, and trade fraud; identified temporarily imported cars with Laos Driving Licence but have not been re-exported.

Ha Tinh Customs Department will review and classify subjects, means of transport temporarily imported for re-export; vehicle drivers, passengers on exit and entry; and control border crossings.

The department will focus on inspecting prohibited goods, high-value goods, high- tax rate goods, conditional import and export goods... and import and export regimes such as goods processed and produced for export, temporarily imported goods for re-export, transshipped goods, transit goods to detect and prevent violations effectively.