Strictly control goods in transit across Tay Ninh Border Gate

Smuggling across Tay Ninh Border Gate takes place amid pandemic

Officers of Moc Bai Customs Branch inspect goods in transit. Photo: T.D

However, many cases that have abused this regime to smuggle and transport counterfeit and banned goods, have been detected and handled by customs forces.

Continuously detect violations

Recently, during inspection for goods in transit opened customs declaration by SH Logistics Co., Ltd at Huu Nghi Border Gate Customs Branch (Lang Son Customs Department), Moc Bai International Border Gate Customs Branch detected many goods that were not declared or declared inconsistent with the reality.

Specifically, according to the enterprise's declaration, the shipment included 100 bales of refrigerant used for air conditioners. However, when the customs conducted a physical inspection, there were gas cylinders, 100% new in the shipment. There are also undeclared goods including 500 charging sockets, 100% new; 38 coils of network cable, 100% new; 50 bales of irons, 100% new.

According to a report of Tay Ninh Customs Department, from the beginning of the year, the number of means of transport on exit and entry across border gates increased by 1,189.09% year-on-year to 14,541 vehicles. The vehicles on exit and entry rose by 1,141.17% and 1,242.58% to 7,385 vehicles and 763,577 vehicles compared with the year ago, respectively.

Notably, Customs detected 19 packages, including 2,518 used mobile phones (iPhone, HUAWEI, REDMI, HONOR, OPPO) worth over VND 2.7 billion in the transit shipment of the company. This is a transit item that requires a permit, but at the time of inspection, the company still needs to present the permit to the customs office.

At the end of March, a company abused the open policy in import and export activities of transit goods to mix the goods with forged origin with other products; imported goods across Xa Mat Border Gate and transshipped goods across Binh Duong Port to ship goods to Singapore to avoid suspicion on the origin of goods of the importing country.

However, the violation was detected by Xa Mat Border Gate Customs Branch. When discovering suspicious signs of the shipment, Customs changed the goods channel and carried out a physical inspection. The results of the physical inspection showed that the shipment not only lacked 40 packages compared to the declaration, the authorities also found that in the shipment, there were wooden tables and chairs with forged Vietnamese origin.

Tighten control

Deputy Director of Tay Ninh Customs Department Vo Thanh Ngoan said that transporters abused the transit regime of goods to ship counterfeit goods, goods infringing intellectual property rights and transit goods from China across Vietnam's territory to Cambodia; enterprises imported semi-finished products to implement simple processing and assembly stages but declared goods with Vietnamese origin on export declarations and printed Made in Vietnam on product packaging, and abused the regime of transit goods to transport goods with forged Vietnamese origin.

Through detected violations, Tay Ninh Customs Department has issued notification to customs branches that currently, some local businesses have taken advantage of the regime of transit goods to forge Vietnamese origin, especially wooden products originating from Cambodia.

The department requested the branches to strengthen inspection, supervision, and conduct a physical inspection of goods when there are signs of suspicion for wood products imported from Cambodia, especially transit wood products, to handle violations strictly. Promote the collection of information on import and transit activities of wood products from Cambodia arrest and handle in accordance with the provisions of law. Carry out a post-clearance audit for businesses with risk factors.

The Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department under the General Department of Customs issued Official Letter No. 427/DTCBL-D4 dated May 5, 2023, requiring Customs Departments of HCM City, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Binh Phuoc, Long An, Lang Son, Tay Ninh on strengthening inspection and control of transit goods and independently transported goods to prevent the smuggling and transporting counterfeit and banned goods.

Accordingly, the units will coordinate with the Anti-Smuggling and Intellectual Property Rights Protection Team (Team 4) to continue strengthening control for transit goods, transhipment, temporary import for re-export, or export items from bonded warehouses for smuggling and commercial fraud; strengthen information collection, risk analysis and assessment to identify risk shipments to focus on controlling and handling.

Implement 24/7 online monitoring of shipments and cars transported on the registered route from the first border gate to the last export border gate to track goods and vehicles to promptly detect acts of breaking seals for transhipment and concealment of goods during domestic transportation.

At the same time, strictly inspect and control shipments in transit and independently transported goods to avoid smuggling of goods inland. To take proactive measures to prevent violations related to the regime of transit goods and independently transported goods.