Smuggled ivory seized by Hai Phong Customs in March 2023. Photo: T.Binh.

According to the General Department of Customs, in April, smuggling and illegal transportation of goods across the Vietnam-Laos and Vietnam-Cambodia border lines were still very complicated. Especially, smuggling and illegal transportation of drugs, firecrackers, gold, cigarettes, foreign currency, food across the borders of Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh, Long An, Dong Thap and An Giang and Kien Giang.

The transportation of goods to bonded warehouses (Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Binh Duong, Dong Nai) in transit to China and Cambodia continues to pose a potential risk in illegal transportation back to the inland.

On the sea route, smugglers focused on high-profit items such as petroleum, coal, minerals, used electronics, refrigeration, scrap, and frozen goods, poultry and used many sophisticated tricks, such as disguising ships as fishing boats, reinforcing tanks to cover up the illegal trading and transportation of contraband goods.

In particular, wildlife products such as ivory and rhino horn have tended to shift from seaports in the South and Central regions to northern provinces such as Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, etc.

In addition, the situation of drug crimes is still complicated, especially in the air route and border areas in the Northwest, Central, and Southwest regions.

In April, the Customs sector handled 1,466 cases of violations of the law on customs, with a total value of infringing goods estimated at VND455 billion, the Customs authorities initiated five cases, asked the other authorities to prosecute 20 cases, and collected VND87.7 billion to the State budget.

In the first four months of the year (16/12/2022-15/4/2023), the whole Customs sector handled 5,123 cases of violations of the law on customs and the total value of goods was estimated at nearly VND1,450 billion; Customs authorities prosecuted 10 cases, transferred to other agencies 23 cases, and collected VND 266.7 billion.