Stop smuggled sugar run into HCMC

Smuggled sugar is camouflaged under the waste bag that was seized by HCMC Market management on 16/5/2017

According to Market Surveillance Agency (MSA) of HCMC, the situation of smuggling Thailand and Cambodia sugar that was transported from border provinces of South West to HCMC for consumption has occurred complicated. In recent time, by strengthening update situation, inspection, and handling violations, the competent force have stopped many cases of transport smuggled sugar to HCMC.

Recently, on 16/5/2017, Market Surveillance Team 2A - Market Surveillance Agency of HCMC seized 2 trucks transported tens of smuggled sugar. The total smuggled sugar was 70 tons and was detected on the truckload and in Thanh Phat warehouse which located at Tan Tao A Ward, Binh Tan District, HCMC.

In order to seize those smuggled sugar, Market Surveillance Scouts kept track of the subjects in many days. In the dawn of 16/5, Market Surveillance Team 2A inspected 2 trucks that have many suspected signs when the driver arrived at the above warehouse.

Through the physical inspection of 2 trucks, HCMC Market Surveillance Department discovered hundreds of packs of sugar were camouflaged and guarded by waste bags. All of those sugar didn’t have vouchers or legal documents, Vietnamese label,… Besides that, HCMC Market Surveillance also inspected warehouse and detected tens of sugar containing in the package that came from Thailand and without legal vouchers.

According to HCMC Market Surveillance, it is likely that goods will be imported from Cambodia to An Giang then transported to warehouses for market launch preparation and arrested by competent force.

According to the analysis of HCMC Market Surveillance, the smugglers often deal with competent forces by transporting large quantities of sugar in trucks to HCMC late at night. Vehicles run into car parks in the coastal districts, then transferring goods to small trucks and goods are transported overnight.

The subjects also "legitimize" smuggled sugar by removing the original packaging of the goods, then putting them in paper packages or packaging labeled of domestic sugar producers.

Earlier, by the end of 2016, the Scout of C74 - Ministry of Public Security had followed 5 trucks from a gathering point that was near 500 meters from the Cambodian border, of Duc Hue district, Long An province. When those cars arrived at the parking lot in Binh Tan District, the scouts coordinated with the Ho Chi Minh City Police to arrest. There is a total of 33 tons of Thailand sugar with no bills in trucks. The owner admitted that those sugars were smuggled from Cambodia, was preparing to switch to the retailers. Each kilo of sugar is consumed, traders earn interest from 3,000 vnd to 4,000 vnd.

Earlier, 4 teams of Market Surveillance (Teams 2A, 5B, 6B, Binh Tan) - HCMC Market Surveillance Department coordinated with C74- Ministry of Public Security to inspect 4 stores of selling sugar. They temporarily seized more than 60 tons of Thai sugar without invoices and vouchers.

According to the HCMC Market Surveillance Department, since 5^th January 2016 (when the Decree 124/2015 / ND-CP came into effect), the fine rate for smuggling sugar was increased double. Specifically, if the value of smuggled goods over 100 million vnd, that person will be administratively sanctioned by 90 million vnd for individuals, 180 million vnd for organizations. In addition, if there are signs of smuggling, it will be transferred to the police for investigation. Mr. Bach said that with that fine rate, it is not light but the smugglers are ready to use every trick to slip goods from foreign countries to domestic market.

In order to prevent the transport of smuggled goods to HCMC, Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Tran Vinh Tuyen has instructed competent agencies to intensify patrolling and handling smuggling behavior, storage and transport sugar in seaport areas, estuaries, wharves, and ships;

To strictly control the export and import of sugar; strictly handle acts of smuggling, transportation, and trading of smuggled sugar, taking advantage of temporary import and re-export for smuggling; To raze the lines, transportation points, trading smuggled goods, etc.

The People's Committees in district level should promptly detect acts of transporting, storing and trading illegally imported goods in the locality. If the area at the district become a hot spot of smuggling and doesn’t have any solutions for prevention that is a cause of public outrage, the local government of that district is taking fully responsible. The Chairman of the District People's Committee will be responsible for the situation of smuggling sugar in the locality.