Dong Thap Customs Department has strictly controlled smuggling and illegal transportation of goods across the border amid the pandemic.

Cigarettes seized by Dong Thap Customs Department Photo: Dang Hoa

Many violations transferred to Police

Among 50 violations handled by Dong Thap Customs Department in the first five months of 2021, many cases with signs of smuggling and illegal transportation of goods on a large scale have been transferred to the police for investigation.

Typically, Hong Ngu District Police, Dong Thap, are expanding the investigation into the case of a person using a car to illegally transport 2,500 packs of foreign cigarettes across the border, which were seized by Thuong Phuoc Border Gate Customs Branch.

At the end of March 2021, Thuong Phuoc border gate Customs Branch chaired and coordinated with Thuong Phuoc International Border Gate Border Guard Station to conduct patrols and controls atThuong Phuoc border gate area in Hamlet 1, Thuong Phuoc 1 commune, Hong Ngu district, Dong Thap province.

By inspecting a car with license plate 66A-137.72, the forces discovered 2,500 packs of foreign cigarettes hidden in many cartons. The driver confessed that the above cigarettes were bought from a woman in ​​​​Thuong Phuoc border gate market, and brought to the urban area in Lai Vung district, Dong Thap to resell for profit.

After receiving the documents from Customs, Hong Ngu District Police are currently investigating and clarifying the case.

Also related to smuggled cigarettes, the Customs Enforcement Team transferred the seizure of 2,500 packs of foreign cigarettes, worth VND43.3 million, to the police agency for investigation and clarification.

Not only seizing smuggled goods at the border area, DongThap Customs Department has coordinated with other forces to patrol and handle many cases of storage and transportation of contraband goods.

Recently, when patrolling on National Highway 30, the section of Binh Hung hamlet, Binh Thanh border commune, Hong Ngu city, the Customs Enforcement Team under Dong Thap Customs Department collaborated with Hong Ngu City Police to inspectand seize a pick-up truck suspected of carrying smuggled goods.

This truck is a TOYOTA TUNDRA brand, with a Cambodian license plate, driven by Mr. Vo Thanh Hong, born in 1960, at address cluster 3, Sa Rai town, Tan Hong district.

Through initial investigation, Mr. Vo Thanh Hong only presented a vehicle registration certificate issued by Cambodia on March 29, 2017. Currently, the case has been handed over to the police.

Border controlled

Dong Thap Customs Department saidfacing the complicated developments of the Covid-19 pandemic, the authorities have coordinated to strengthen patrols across the border, crossingsand areas adjacent to Cambodia to prevent the Covid-19 pandemic and combat smuggling and illegal transportation of goods across the border.

However, due to the price difference between the two countries in some items such as foreign cigarettes, sugar, livestock, poultry, beer, soft drinks, etc., smugglers seek ways to illegally bring them across the border.

Storage areas along the Cambodian border are still working and waiting for favorable opportunities to quickly transport contrabandgoods across the border in small quantities. In particular, many stores of smuggledcigaretteswere seized by the Customs.

On May 18, 2021, the Customs Enforcement Team worked with An Thanh Ward Police, Hong Ngu City Police to manage the area of ​​cluster 2, An Thanh ward, Hong Ngu city, and seized two cases with nearly 1,700 packs of foreign cigarettes.

These cigarettes were packed in nylon bags, PP bags and gathered at roadsides waiting to enter the domestic market by bus or motorbike. When being detected by the authorities, smugglers left the goods and fled.

To control and prevent violations in a timely manner, leaders of Dong Thap Customs Department regularly asked their subordinate units to strengthen the work of anti-smuggling, commercial fraud and counterfeiting; strengthen control and fight against illegal transportation of livestock and poultry across the border; and actively work with other forces of Border Guard and Police to grasp the situation and perform the combat against smuggling and other crimes.

So far, Dong Thap Customs Department has handled50 violations with the value of infringing goods of about VND1.4 billion.

Dong Thap Customs Department is expanding prevention solutions in the new situation to perform the "dual task" of pandemic control and customs management in the area.

Leaders of subordinate units must be responsible for any organized smuggling, drug smuggling, or transportation of banned goods through border gates or through the customs operation area of ​​the unit in charge.

In particular, border-gate customs branches and the Customs Enforcement Team have deployed measures against trade fraud for customs regimes of export processing and manufacturing, independent transportation, transit, border-gate transfer, temporary imports for re-exports.