Two businesses intentionally consumed tens of billions of VND of imported pigs without a quarantine

Imports of pigs through Lao Bao International Border Gate (Quang Tri). Photo provided by Lao Bao Customs Branch.

On June 28, Lao Bao Customs Branch issued a decision to prosecute a criminal case for the act of smuggling (defined in Clause 6, Article 188 of the Penal Code) occurred at Lao Bao international border gate related to Vinh Phu Import-Export and Investment Co., Ltd, and transferred the file to the investigation police agency, Quang Tri Police for continuing to investigate and handle in accordance with its competence.

In January, Vinh Phu Company carried out procedures through Lao Bao Border Gate Customs Branch to import three shipments, with a total quantity of 3,060 live pigs from Thailand to Vietnam for slaughter, weighing 90 -120 kg per head.

According to the dossier requesting to take goods to be preserved of Vinh Phu Company and the Certificate of transportation of imported animals to isolation for quarantine issued by Lao Bao Animal Quarantine Station, Lao Bao Customs Branch approved for the firm to bring the goods back for storage at two isolated locations. A total of 1,020 pigs were brought to Nghe An province (under the management of Sub-Department of Animal Health Region III) and 2,040 pigs were brought to Thai Nguyen province (under the management of Sub-Department of Animal Health Region II).

On February 22, Lao Bao Border Gate Customs Branch received Official Letter No. 101/TYV2-KD from the Sub-Department of Animal Health Region II providing information on three consignments of 2,040 pigs that were seized and made an administrative record by the Sub-Department of Animal Health Region II for “failing to bring goods to the quarantine area (point c, clause 3, Article 15 of Decree 90/2017/ND-CP dated July 31, 2017 on regulations on sanctioning of administrative violations in the field of veterinary)" and "failing to register and declare on quarantine when importing animals (point a, clause 2, Article 13 of Decree 90/2017/ND-CP dated July 31, 2017 of the Government regulating on sanctioning administrative violations in the field of veterinary).”

On March 15, Lao Bao Customs Branch made a record of administrative violations against Vinh Phu Company.

According to Lao Bao Border Gate Customs Branch, the import of live pigs by Vinh Phu Company is subject to specialised inspection (animal quarantine) but they failed to carry out isolation and quarantine for 2,040 pigs that were consumed without completing customs procedures. This act was a violation of the Law on Foreign Trade Management, the Law on Customs, and the Law on Animal Health.

Imported live pigs must undergo quarantine, though the owner of the goods is allowed to bring the goods back for storage at a registered location in the country for isolation and quarantine.

Imported goods are subject to customs supervision until the customs authority receives a notification of quarantine results and issues a decision on cargo clearance.

The time limit for firms to submit the quarantine results to the customs authority is 30 days from the date the goods are taken back for storage.

The Property Valuation Council in the criminal proceedings of Huong Hoa district concluded the value of infringing exhibits was more than VND 16.8 billion.

Also on June 28, the Lao Bao Customs Branch issued a decision to prosecute a criminal case against Dai Phong Investment and Trading Co., Ltd.

Dai Phong Company imported live pigs subject to specialised inspection (animal quarantine) but failed to isolate or quarantine 720 imported live pigs, which was a violation of the Law on Foreign Trade Management, Law on Customs, Law on Veterinary.

On May 27, the Property Valuation Council in the criminal proceedings of Huong Hoa district concluded the value of the infringing exhibits was more than VND 5.2 billion.