In the early days of July, amid the intense heat, we were at the Lang Son border. There are not scenes of smuggled goods on passenger cars, motorcycles and trucks on the roads as before. The border gates are covered by a quiet atmosphere.

Lang Son Customs strictly controls imported goods to prevent enterprises from making
false declarations of names, quantities, tax rates, HS codes and origin of goods.
Photo: H. Nu

Sharp decline due to pandemic

Mr. Dang Van Ngoc, Permanent Deputy Head of the ProvincialSteering Committee 389, Acting Director of Lang Son Market Surveillance Department, said that before the Lunar New Year 2020 when the outbreak of Covid-19 was not present, smuggling across the Lang Son border was still complicated with methods of carrying goods in small quantities through trails and openings, focusing on ready-made garments, consumer goods, cosmetics and cakes, sweets, poultry and livestock and their products. But, when the disease broke out, the authorities intensified immigration activities to combat the pandemic, thus limiting smuggling and illegal cross-border transportation of goods in Lang Son province.

According to statistics of the authorities from the beginning of February to the middle of April 2020, there were almost no cases of smuggling through trails and shortcuts in Lang Son province (except stealthy transportation cases of medical masks across the border). From the end of April to the middle of June 2020, there were cases of carrying small illegal goods through border trails: Goc Nhan, Goc Buoi, Kho Da, and Doi Cao area (Van Lang district). In addition, frauds in the quantity, quality, price of goods on the invoices still went on. 

According to a report of Steering Committee 389 of Lang Son province, by the end of June 15, the authoritiesinspected and handled 2,133 cases of smuggling, trade frauds and counterfeit goods. The value of confiscated goods was nearly VND332 million; 163 cases with 232 offenders were prosecuted.

To record this actual situation in Lang Son, aCustoms newspaper reporter was present in Dong Dang town, the "navel" of smuggled goods. Here, all import-export activities and immigration activities of border residents were strictly controlled by the authorities. Moving into the Coc Nam border gate area, the Chinese side still seriously controlled the pandemic, so border residents cannot travel across the border and customs clearance of means and goods were also strictly controlled by China.

At Doc Quyt Integrated Control Station, where vehicles were sparse, vehicles with signs of smuggling were all inspected and seized by the authorities. It can be affirmed that the fight against smuggling and trade frauds in Lang Son is being controlled.

Do not let smuggling burst out

Talking to the reporter, Mr. Vy Cong Tuong, Deputy Director of Lang Son Customs Department, said that trade fraud activities still took place,such as making false declarations on goods names, quantities, tax rates, HS codes and origin. Especially, before the outbreak of Covid-19, the immigration activities of border residents was still busy, however, since the outbreak of Covid-19, the Chinese and Lang Son sides tightened the border and all travel activities of border residents diminished.

Moreover, the travel of border residents was controlled, so the smugglers could not take advantage of this form to transportillegal goods. While domestic consumer demand was still high, enterprises had to increased imports of consumer goods through border gates, which also contributed to increasing the state budget revenue and significantly reduced smuggling and transportation of illegal goods across trails and openings.

The Steering Committee 389 of Lang Son province said this was the time that the domestic consumption needs for goods for the hot season tended to increase. This would also make smuggling, trade fraud and illegal cross-border transportation of goods more complicated, especially trade fraud on labels, origins of goods, prices of anti-epidemic goods and consumer goods.

According to Mr. Dang Van Ngoc, to strictly control and prevent the situation of smuggling and trade fraud, the Steering Committee 389 of Lang Son province has asked the authorities to further strengthen the inspection and fight against smuggling, counterfeit and banned goods, especially to enhance control and prevention of illegal immigration.

In particular, the Customs and Border Guard forces would focus on inspecting and strictly controlling the border areas, especially illegal immigration activities, controlling import and export goods, closely supervising temporary import for re-export activities through border gates and border crossings; strengthening control activities at some key trails, regularly reviewing and consolidating fences at some border crossings and strengthening the prevention of poultry smuggling through border crossings in Van Lang, Cao Loc and Loc Binh areas.

The Steering Committee 389 of Lang Son province also asked Lang Son Tax Department to further intensify the management of the issuance and use of invoices and documents of organizations and individuals doing business in the province to effectively preventacts of fraud on goods origin and goods prices on invoices; strictly handle units using illegal invoices to legalize smuggled goods or buying and selling illegal invoices.

Police and market surveillance forces strengthen captureover the local situation, proactively preventand combatsmuggling, trade frauds and counterfeit and banned goods; and strengthen inspection, control the market, prevent speculation and hoarding of goods.