HCM City Customs enhancing anti smuggling at the end of the year

HCM City Customs Department has requested its units to conduct container screening, especially for goods in transit, temporarily imported goods and re-exported goods. Photo: T.H

Nearly 2,000 cases handled

Since the beginning of 2020, HCMC Customs Department has handled more than 1,900 violations with infringing goods value estimated at VND2,4000 billion. Notably, HCMC customs transferred 37 serious cases with criminal signs to other competent authorities for prosecution, said HCM City Customs Department.

The above results are thanks to seriously following guidelines in combat against crime, smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods and illegal drug transportation; actively developing plans to dismantle criminal lines and gangs; collecting information on the area, freight transport routes, means of transport on exit, entry, in transit and related persons; collecting information on individuals, businesses and organizations showing signs of activities related to smuggling and illegal cross-border goods transportation and controlling the hiding of drugs in import-export shipments sent by air.

Notably, HCM City Customs Department has successfully handled many cases and special cases on illegal transportation of drugs via air and express delivery since the beginning of 2022.

Huynh Nam, the head of the Anti-Drug Enforcement Team, said that HCM City Customs identified 65 cases of illegal drug transportation and seized more than 600kg of drugs of all kinds. In particular, the team has been coordinating with other agencies to carry out a special case of illegal export of drugs to Australia and discovered many violations and seized tens of kilograms of drugs and arrested suspects. This case is being further investigated.

Control smuggling at the end of the year

Although the number of violations of customs law has decreased, the situation is still complicated in the remaining months of the year and it is necessary to have solutions, said HCM City Customs Department.

According to HCM City Customs Department, from the beginning of 2022, import and export immigration activities through HCMC border gates have resumed and increased significantly.

Accordingly, violations of customs law have also increased. The main methods and tricks are the false declaration of imported goods; taking advantage of the risk management mechanism in customs clearance; or adjusting the manifest to avoid the inspection and control of the Customs authorities.

To prevent violations, especially at the end of the year when the volume of import-export goods tends to increase, HCM City Customs Department has asked border-gate customs units and advisory units to effectively implement anti-smuggling plans of the 389 National Steering Committee; plans of the customs sector and their units. Furthermore, the customs units have been asked to enhance coordination with the Risk Management Department to conduct key inspections by container scanners, especially for transit goods, temporarily imported goods and re-exported goods, and department stores, to promote the efficiency of equipment, facilities, and human resources; improve the detection rate of violations and save costs.

Regarding risk control and information collection and processing, the leader of HCM City Customs Department has required units to effectively implement key risk control plans in 2022; asked customs officers in charge of risk management to understand and fully implement regulations and guidelines to collect and process information and analyze risks, especially for Green channel risks, export risks to warn and effectively prevent violations.

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In addition, HCM City Customs Department recommends that it is necessary to offer solutions to manage and prevent the abuse of manifest modification to smuggle and illegally transport goods across the border; prevent the abuse of manifest modification when the shipment is under customs supervision or the shipment is classified into the Red channel; adjust the customs management programs for export goods by increasing the inspection rate of exported goods by key routes and commodities; random inspection and selected inspection or conduct probabilistic screening of export shipments which have been automatically classified in the Yellow and Green Channels to assess the compliance of enterprises.