The Customs sector has taken measures to detect and handle cases of banned goods via transit activities to prevent smuggling, illegal transportation of goods, goods infringing intellectual property rights across borders.

Means of transport on exit and entry at Moc Bai Border Gate. Photo: Internet 

Promptly detect violations

The transit of goods from China to Cambodia and Laos has increased. This has brought jobs, income for a number of employees and logistics operators.

Statistics shows that currently 129 enterprises across the country engaged in transiting goods from China to Laos and Cambodia with tens of thousands of containers per year. Commodities are mainly consumer goods (general goods), electronic goods, refrigeration, electronic components, auto parts, and garments.

However, besides the benefits gained, it faces potential risks of transporting prohibited goods and goods infringing intellectual property rights across Vietnam’s territory, thereby these goods may be transported to the domestic market for consumption.

From the beginning of 2020, the General Department of Vietnam Customs planned to control goods in transit showing signs of fake goods, goods infringing intellectual property rights from abroad into Vietnam to Laos, Cambodia and vice versa.

Through grasping the situation and arrests, it shows that suspects have abused the transportation of transit goods for smuggling of banned goods such as drugs and goods infringing property rights into Vietnam. The investigation by Customs reports that the fake goods, goods infringing intellectual property rights and banned goods are widely sold in the market, which is partly due to smuggling via transit operations.

Particularly, the data on the customs system shows about 100-150 containers of general goods on average per day in Lang Son and HCMC open customs declarations under transit to export to Cambodia, Laos across land border gates in the provinces of Tay Ninh, Binh Phuoc, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, An Giang, Dong Thap, Kien Giang, Long An.

The General Department of Vietnam Customs has inspected four of 129 transit operators, including: Son Ha Trading Co., Ltd, Bach Viet Lang Son Company Limited, Import-Export Business and Service Company Limited; Transnational Transport Joint Stock Company.

From 13 to 21 July 2020, the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department coordinated with customs branches of Huu Nghi, Moc Bai, Xa Mat, Hoa Lu, Chalo to conduct physical inspections for 132 of 647 containers, and detected 91 of 132 infringing containers, of those 35 of 91 containers of fake goods, 56 of 91 non-declaration or misdeclaration of goods containers. The rate of targeting inspection accounted for 20% while the rate of infringing goods was 75.8%, the rate of counterfeit goods accounted for 38.5%.

The Customs force coordinated with Lang Son Police to inspect two containers of goods in transit, detected and seized 7.5 tons of drug precursors; seized 15.8kg of methamphetamine in the shipment of the Transnational Transport Joint Stock Company.

Using modern equipment for supervision

The General Department of Customs (GDVC) said that based on the provisions of the law and the results of inspection and handling offences of transit goods, the inspection, supervision and handling offences comply with regulation and are necessary.

To facilitate goods in transit while meeting management requirements, the GDVC has requested the Customs Departments of provinces and cities to attach e-customs seals for all containers of goods in transit from the first border gate to the last border gate; only conduct physical inspection and checks for containers, means of transport in transit showing signs of transporting banned goods, and not complying with the regulated route and time limit.

Currently, Customs continues to inspect and control transit shipments to promptly detect, arrest and strictly handle transportation of banned goods, and inconsistent with the route and time limit.

According to the GDVC, the customs force has handled infringing shipments.

Typically, Lang Son Customs Department has advised competent agencies to handled infringing transit shipments. However, some enterprises have not yet complied with decisions on handling of violations, and complained that the handling by Customs is not in line with subjects, the owner of goods in transit must be handed rather than the transit services providers.

In addition, Customs faces problems related to results of physical inspections in handling goods with signs of law violation.

The GDVC said that in some areas, the transit goods are packed in containers with seals of carriers, most of them are full containers; a few are loaded at yards.

So, it is difficult to identify offences to classify goods channel for physical inspection. The manual channel classification for physical inspection has led to complaints from businesses and congestion at the border gate.

Therefore, to ensure the effectiveness of anti-smuggling, facilitate enterprises, not affect economic development and solve some shortcomings, the GDVC will take customs measures, apply IT, use modern technical to automatically classify into Red channel for goods shipments with high risk, signs of violation or cases of random inspections.

At the same time, attaching e-customs seals for all goods containers in transit from the first border gate to the last border gate for supervision. At the border gate, customs units carry out physical inspection of goods, inspect containers and vehicles transporting goods in transit with signs of transporting prohibited goods, inconsistent with the route and time limit.