Contraband cigarettes were seized by the Customs Enforcement Team in a case where the smuggler was disguised as an employee of a delivery company. Photo: N.Hien

Prevent "off-season" smuggling

Binh Phuoc has border gates and a long border with Cambodia that is easy to travel with many industrial parks.

Therefore, this province is considered an area with many potential risks of smuggling, illegal cross-border transportation of goods and trade fraud. Especially, since Binh Phuoc province reopened the border after a period for Covid-19 pandemic prevention, smugglers are starting to work again.

Mr. Pham Van Chung, vice leader of the Customs Enforcement Team - Binh Phuoc Customs Department, said the smuggled items are mainly cigarettes of unknown origin, sugar, and firecrackers. In particular, if in the past, smuggling activities rose at the end of the year to serve consumption during the Tet holiday, now smuggling activities happen all year round.

Suspects usually carry goods along the border-crossing to gathering places at cashew orchards and rubber gardens in the border area and then use motorbikes to bring them inland. Suspects often operate at night or early morning in areas outside the Customs control area.

The receiving goods at the gathering place are quickly carried out in order to avoid the competent authorities and the suspects traveled in large groups, sometimes up to 30 motorbikes and were very aggressive in order to overwhelm the authorities.

Many suspects also impersonate employees of delivery companies by putting goods in bags with the logos of these companies in order to bypass the authorities.

Binh Phuoc Customs Department has developed many plans in the fight against smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods; prevention and control of drugs and precursors. At the same time, the department has strengthened coordination with other authorities in the area to regularly and strictly control export and import goods and means of transport on entry and exit.

Specifically, the Customs Enforcement Team signed a coordination regulation with the PC03 and PC04 Divisions - Binh Phuoc Provincial Police; Drug and Crime Prevention and Control Division, Binh Phuoc Province Border Guard; Loc Ninh district police, Bu Dop district police, three border guard posts and two joint plans signed between five border posts of Bu Dop district and the market surveillance agency of Bu Dop district and between five district border posts of Loc Ninh district with Loc Ninh District Police.

In industrial zones, Binh Phuoc Customs has also regularly exchanged with border guard posts in Minh Hung 3 Industrial Park and Dong Phu Industrial Park to control the area.

Given developed plans and solutions and close coordination with authorities in the area, from the beginning of 2022, Binh Phuoc Customs Department has handled more than 50 cases of administrative violations with a fine of nearly VND500 million and presided over and coordinated with other forces to handle 12 cases of smuggling and illegal cross-border transportation of goods, seizing more than 7,000 packages of cigarettes and over 500kg of firecrackers.

Classify and manage businesses by their compliance level

Mr. Nguyen Van Lich, Director of Binh Phuoc Customs Department, said that from the end of December 2021, Binh Phuoc Customs Department has established a team to review businesses in the area, especially those operating in the field of export processing and production for classification and management, thereby detecting acts of trade fraud and smuggling in export processing and production.

Accordingly, businesses will be encouraged and supported and those not complying will be guided and handled at the lowest level. For businesses with signs of violation, the customs agency shall verify and transfer the case to the Customs Enforcement Team and the police for investigation.

Along with that, Binh Phuoc customs will inspect the production facilities and warehouses of businesses and review the preparation of final settlement reports of businesses.

Thereby, Binh Phuoc Customs Department has taken three cases related to cashew nut smuggling to court and is consulting the People's Procuracy of Binh Phuoc province to prosecute another case.

Currently, the unit is also investigating 29 businesses, of which 15 have dissolved or gone bankrupt.

From now until the end of the year, Binh Phuoc Customs Department will continue to verify businesses with signs of violations of the customs law and implement documents related to the fight against smuggling and trade fraud of the General Department of Customs, Binh Phuoc Customs Department and relevant agencies.

Moreover, Binh Phuoc Customs will strengthen inspection, control, and prevention of petrol and oil smuggling on the border; expand drug control measures in all stages, routes and areas. The border gate Customs Branches and the Enforcement Team will also continue to exchange information in order to control the type of independent transportation.

Particularly for cashew businesses, Mr. Nguyen Van Lich said Binh Phuoc Customs Department will work with the Vietnam Cashew Association and a number of large enterprises to propose solutions to the Provincial Party Committee and People's Committee of Binh Phuoc province to effectively manage production and business activities.