The Southern Anti-smuggling Enforcement Unit (Unit 3) of the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department under the General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC) is continuing to review and investigate the illegal import of wood violating CITES from Africa to Vietnam through the southern provinces. Mr. Ngo Van Thuy, Head of Unit 3 spokewith Customs News.

Mr. Ngo Van Thuy, Head of Unit 3 of the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department.

Could you tell us the results of inspecting 60 wood containers conducted by Unit 3?

- Following the direction of the GDVC’s leaders, leaders of Unit 3 deployed a plan to combat the illegal import of wood infringing CITES from Africa to Vietnam acrosssouthern provinces.

After more than three weeks of inspection, at the end of last week, Unit 3 worked with HCM City Customs Department and Dong Nai Customs Department to complete the inspection and sampling for verification of 60 wood containers that were suspected of being “Senegal rosewood” and imported into Vietnam via Cat Lai Port.

The initial inspection results showed that these wood containers were preliminarily processed and cut into sticks with a total value of more than 1,000m3.

The value of the shipment was estimated at more than VND20 billion. This shipment was transported from Nigeria to Cat Lai port of HCM City. According to the declared information on the bill of lading, the consignee in Vietnam is a company located in Binh Duong. However, this company refused to receive the shipment.

How do you evaluate the tricks of large-scale wood smuggling and handling by Customs?

- Sincethe beginning of 2020, Unit 3 has coordinated with HCM City Customs Department to handletwo cases of illegal import of wood.

These two cases have a large volume of 110 containers with sophisticated tricks. 

Companies abused open policies of the State in import and export activities by making fake documents, fake permits, and falsely declared goods to smuggle wood into Vietnam. For some small shipments, companies declared goods as other items like cashew nuts or production materials to avoid the inspection and classification of goods by competent forces.

However, when discovered, companies refusedto receivethese two shipments. For the first wood shipment (50 containers equivalent to 851,041 m3 of wood) discovered in early 2020,the results of the inspection and testing showed that the goods were “Senegal rosewood” valued at more than VND20 billion. For the second wood shipment of 60 containers (equivalent to more than 1,000m3 of processed sawn timber), we have completed the inspection and sampling for verification. Currently, we are waiting for final results.

For the first wood shipment, the company opened a customs declaration so that the owner of the shipment has been identified, and the results of inspection and verification have shown as Senegal rosewood. Unit 3 is completing the case’s record and has proposed the Anti-smuggling and Investigation Department to issuea decision to criminally prosecute the case.

For the second wood shipment (60 containers), we are investigating to clarify the responsibilities of each individual and organization, identifying the subject and based on the nature and level of violation to handle according to regulations of the Law.

Currently, Unit 3 has worked with the Southern Customs units to promptly prevent illegal imports of wood shipments into Vietnam.