“Watching” authorities to transport smuggled cigarettes

	Proposal to prosecute 7 subjects involved in trading illegal cigarettes on a large-scale
	Dangers from smuggled cigarettes and electronic cigarettes
	Quang Tri Customs seizes 10,500 packages of smuggled cigarettes

A car driver hired to transport 19,000 packages of smuggled cigarettes from Long An to Ben Tre is arrested in Tien Giang in November 2024.

Hiring “porters” who must make a deposit before transporting

Investigations by the authorities show that cigarette smuggling occurs frequently in the border areas of Lang Son, Lao Cai, Cao Bang provinces. Foreign cigarette smuggling mainly occur in the border areas of Quang Tri, Gia Lai, Tay Ninh, Long An, Dong Thap, An Giang, Kien Giang provinces. Smuggled foreign cigarettes are also very diverse, such as Hero, Jet, 555, Nesol, Scott... of unknown origin.

Speaking at the Seminar "Increasing Special Consumption Tax and Combating Cigarette Smuggling - Issues Raised", organized by Vietnam Law Newspaper on November 19, 2024, Mr. Le Thien Thanh, Deputy Head of the Investigation Guidance Department, Department of Drug and Crime Prevention, Border Guard Command, said that although the smuggling methods and tricks are not new, they are very aggressive, causing difficulties for the authorities.

The owners and smugglers gather the goods at places close to the land border, use relatives, hire "porters" to divide goods into smaller quantities of less than 1,500 packages/person to avoid criminal prosecution when arrested.

To successfully transport smuggled cigarettes, suspects often choose night, noon, early morning to bring the goods across the border along trails, shortcuts on both sides of the border or gather them in shacks and houses near the border.

More sophisticatedly, the owner and the "smugglers binds the responsibility between the hired porter, transporter and the owner, to ensure the safety of the cigarettes during transportation across the border ("the porter" must make a deposit before transporting).

Therefore, when arrested, the suspects often find ways to protect the goods or only admit to be hired and do not know who the owner of the goods or the hirer is or where they are.

The transportation of smuggled cigarettes is seriously organized, assigning people to "find the way", " watch" the authorities; organized into large groups equipped with modern tools to monitor and track the authorities such as Flycam, walkie-talkies to avoid detection by the authorities.

Using high-speed vehicles such as speedboats, modified motorbikes, removing license plates and ready to crash into the authorities or abandon the vehicle and goods if they are detected and chased.

Agreeing with the above viewpoint, Ms. Pham Minh Thuy, Head of the Legal Development Department, Legal Department, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) said that the situation of cigarette smuggling in Vietnam, cigarette smuggling at the border is increasing due to the easy transportation method (motorbike, boat, car).

On the other hand, smuggled and fake cigarettes are cheaper than legal cigarettes, often have high tar and nicotine content, making consumers like to use them; online buying and selling is easy and popular; profits are high...

Authorities need work together in information sharing and anti-cigarette smuggling

According to Ms. Pham Minh Thuy, smuggled cigarettes lead to many consequences such as loss of state budget revenue, legitimate manufacturing enterprises have to suffer disadvantages and great competitive pressure, consumers can be seriously affected in terms of health, leading to the Government's goal of reducing smoking rates being difficult to achieve.

At the same time, society has to face loss of security, order, safety, and a lot more costs for protecting people's health, market management, crime prevention, and trade fraud.

To effectively prevent, combat, and strictly handle smuggling and illegal transportation of cigarettes and tobacco materials across the border, Mr. Le Thien Thanh said that competent authorities need to have a roadmap and policies to increase taxes reasonably and practically, in which they proactively and harmoniously implement the Government's goals of limiting cigarette consumption.

Along with tax increase, it is necessary to closely coordinate with local authorities to encourage people in tobacco growing areas to change their crop structure in accordance with farming practices and soil conditions, support job search, and create new jobs for people in tobacco growing areas; ensure people's livelihood, social security, create jobs, and increase income for border residents, minimize the involvement of smuggling and illegal transportation of tobacco and tobacco products across border.

Regularly organize disemination and education to disseminate the law to raise awareness and legal consciousness for border residents so that they voluntarily do not participate in or assist in smuggling and illegal transportation of smuggled foreign cigarettes.

For the Border Guard, regularly strengthening patrols, strictly controling people and vehicles operating in border areas, border gates, and seaports; grasping the situation of the area and subjects; using professional measures, identifying rings and subjects of smuggling and illegal transportation of smuggled cigarettes, establishing a special project.

At the same time, closely coordinating with authorities (Coast Guard, Police, Customs, Market Surveillance, etc.) to well implement the coordination regulations between forces in sharing information and fighting to prevent smuggling; coordinating with local Party committees, authorities, departments, and organizations to promote communication, promoting the role of people in denouncing and reporting crimes and smuggling activities, illegal transportation of cigarettes and tobacco materials across the border.