Resolutely fight against smuggling in border areas

Since the beginning of the year, the functional forces in Mong Cai city have increased patrols and controls in the border area, synchronously deploying professional measures in the fight against smuggling and trade fraud. However, the situation of smuggling and trade fraud on the border remains complicated. The number of smuggling cases and the value of seized goods are still high compared to the same period in 2023.

Continuously prevent illegal transportation of goods

To proactively fight against smuggling and trade fraud, the Steering Committee 389 of Mong Cai City directed functional forces to strengthen patrolling, controlling, fighting, and eliminating smuggling and trade routes, preventing the formation of smuggling and trade fraud hotspots in the area. Member units of the Steering Committee 389 of Mong Cai City have closely followed the mission objectives, regularly inspected and controlled key areas, and seriously and effectively implemented the Central and provincial directions on the fight against smuggling, trade fraud, and counterfeit goods, preventing the formation of large smuggling, transporting, and harboring smuggling and counterfeit goods routes and locations in the area. Since the beginning of the year, functional forces in Mong Cai City have continuously arrested subjects illegally transporting goods in border areas, especially food items, poultry, and poultry products.

Most recently, on the afternoon of July 17, Tra Co Border Guard Station (Quang Ninh Provincial Border Guard) arrested a subject who was buying, selling, and transporting a large quantity of frozen pig brains of unknown origin. While performing a task in the sea area of Trang Vi, Tra Co Ward, Mong Cai City, the patrol and control team of Tra Co Border Guard Station discovered and arrested a raft of styrofoam wood without a license plate traveling from the border to the embankment area of Trang Vi. Through inspection, the Border Guard force identified the vehicle as being driven and owned by Nguyen Van Chung, born in 1992, residing in Group 11, Trang Lo Area, Tra Co Ward, Mong Cai City. The vehicle was carrying 9 sacks of pineapples, containing frozen pig brains, with a total weight of over 500kg. Chung confessed to buying the above goods from a man named A Dai who transported them from China to Vietnam to resell for profit. At the time of inspection, Chung could not present invoices or documents proving the legality of the goods. Tra Co Border Guard Station is completing the case file to handle the case according to the law.

8/7 — The Drug and Crime Prevention Task Force (Quang Ninh Border Guard) in coordination with Hai Hoa Border Guard Station (Quang Ninh Border Guard) arrested a subject illegally transporting 3,150 kg of frozen pig brain on the night of July 8, 2024.

Previously, on the night of July 8, the Drug and Crime Prevention Task Force (Quang Ninh Border Guard) coordinated with Hai Hoa Border Guard Station (Quang Ninh Border Guard) to arrest Vu Tung Lam, born in 1995, residing in Le Chan quarter, Quang Ha town, Hai Ha district, who was illegally transporting 3,150 kg of frozen pork brain without legal documents from the border area into the inland for consumption. Hai Hoa Border Guard Station destroyed all of the above goods and handled the case according to the provisions of law.

Previously, on June 3, 2024, Market Management Team No. 4 (Quang Ninh Market Management Department) coordinated with Mong Cai Border Gate Customs Branch, Economic Crime Prevention Police Team and Mong Cai City Police to inspect the container and tractor driven by Mr. Tran Trung The. At the time of inspection, 2,220 carton boxes containing nearly 25 tons of frozen chicken feet were discovered on the vehicle, with original labels in foreign languages that did not show information about origin and source, and no Vietnamese sub-labels. The owner of the shipment, Nguyen Thanh Long, born in 1980, residing in Zone 4, Ninh Giang Town, Ninh Giang District, Hai Duong Province, confessed to buying all the goods on the market to sell for profit. Market Management Team No. 4 completed the dossier and reported to the Provincial Market Management Department to submit to the Chairman of the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee to issue a decision to fine Nguyen Thanh Long 90 million VND and force him to destroy the goods according to the provisions of law.

Determined not to let "hot spots" of smuggling form

Mong Cai City authorities destroyed 25 tons of frozen chicken feet seized on June 3, 2024.

According to the report of Steering Committee 389 of Mong Cai City, from December 16, 2023 to July 15, 2024, the functional forces in Mong Cai City arrested and handled 331 cases/341 subjects related to smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods with a value of goods of more than 11.1 billion VND, an increase of 15.73% in the number of cases and an increase of 161.02% in value compared to the same period in 2023. Of which, there were more than 170 cases of illegal trading, transportation, and gathering of prohibited and smuggled goods; more than 40 cases of trade fraud, tax fraud; 33 cases of production, business, and sale of counterfeit goods and goods violating intellectual property. From the beginning of July to July 15, the city's authorities have arrested and handled 42 cases/40 subjects related to smuggling, trade fraud, and counterfeit goods with a value of more than 771 million VND.

The authorities have criminally prosecuted 9 cases/14 subjects (an increase of 80% in the number of cases, an increase of 100% in the number of subjects compared to the same period in 2023), including 1 case/1 subject smuggling and illegally transporting 6,820 packs of cigarettes; 4 cases/7 subjects illegally transporting 54.5 kg of firecrackers; 3 cases/3 subjects illegally transporting more than 1.1 billion VND of Chinese and Vietnamese currency across the border; 1 case/3 subjects smuggling mobile phones, tablets and mobile phone accessories, with goods worth more than 1.7 billion VND. Mong Cai City authorities also arrested and handled more than 70 cases with more than 70 subjects illegally transporting and trading food of unknown origin and not ensuring food safety and hygiene, confiscating more than 24,000 kg and 97,881 units of various food products, including: confectionery, sausages, frozen foods, poultry eggs, pickled radishes... with an estimated total value of more than 2.5 billion VND; 19 cases/19 subjects illegally transporting and trading 5,551 cosmetic products of various types; arrested and handled 42 cases/42 subjects illegally transporting and trading animals and animal products, confiscating 108,448 poultry, 15,667 kg of animals and animal products of various types.

Mong Cai Border Gate Customs Branch monitors and checks the luggage of people entering through the Bac Luan II Bridge border gate. — Mong Cai Border Gate Customs Branch monitors and checks the luggage of people entering the country through the Bac Luan II Bridge border gate.

According to the assessment of Steering Committee 389 of Mong Cai City, in the coming time, due to the forecasted increase in people's demand for tourism , shopping, and consumption, there is a potential risk that subjects will take advantage of policies to facilitate trade activities, open mechanisms in customs procedures for all types of import and export goods, and goods bought and sold by border residents to illegally transport goods through border gates.

In border and inland areas, smuggling and illegal transportation of goods across the border are at risk of becoming complicated with methods and tricks such as: Taking full advantage of the terrain of the long, complicated border lines, roads and rivers, close to residential areas, many trails, spontaneous wharves and yards and peak times to illegally transport goods across the border into the area; taking advantage of postal services, express delivery, and business on e-commerce platforms to illegally trade and transport goods; some subjects are passenger car drivers and motorbike taxi drivers transporting goods without legal documents for some essential items: cosmetics, counterfeit branded shoes, food, children's toys, cigarettes, electronics, clothes, etc.

The two sides coordinated bilateral patrols. — Hai Hoa Border Guard Station (Vietnam) - Fangchenggang Border Management Team (China) coordinated bilateral patrol.

Steering Committee 389 of Mong Cai City directed functional forces to focus on implementing the Action Plan to combat smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods, in association with the responsibilities of heads and heads of units; not to be subjective, negligent, lose vigilance, or passive in the face of new methods and tricks of the subjects. Along with proactively coordinating patrols and controls to arrest and handle subjects right from the land and sea border areas, functional forces in the area promote international cooperation to promote the combined strength in the work of preventing and combating smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods. Resolutely not to let the formation of smuggling hotspots in Mong Cai City.

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