VCN – From the beginning of the year, after the Covid-19 pandemic was under control, Kien Giang province has allowed border gates, international routes and Phu Quoc port to resume operations, so import and export activities, immigration and tourism activities have increased again.Facing that situation, Kien Giang Customs Department has requested units to strengthen inspection and supervision in customs clearance for goods, means of transport and passengers on entry and exit, while facilitating customs clearance, and ensuring strict management in accordance with regulations to identify violations.
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| The Customs Enforcement Team (Kien Giang Customs Department) inspects smuggled cosmetic products. |
On the land border route, Ha Tien Border Gate Customs Branch, Customs Enforcement Team regularly cooperated with Border Guards, Police and Market Surveillance Management to exchange and collect information and closely control checkpoints along the land border for smuggling, trade fraud, illegal cross-border transportation of goods, and strengthen to control of key products such as cigarettes and sugar at Ha Tien, Ben Xuong-Ha Tien, Ta Lu beach and Giang Thanh border gate.
On the morning of August 4, the Customs Enforcement Team (Kien Giang Customs Department) conducted a patrol in the area under their management and discovered a suspect carrying contraband goods, so the team followed him. Arriving at Mac Tu Thang street in Binh San ward, Ha Tien city, Kien Giang province, while the suspect was unloading the goods at the gathering place, the team conducted an inspection. The suspect quickly left the gathering place and discarded the above goods.
After the inspection, the team identified more than 2,590 cosmetic bottles with Arche cream brand (made in Thailand). Previously, on July 31 at Nguyen Phuc Chu Street in Binh San Ward, Ha Tien City, Kien Giang Province, the team also seized more than 4,360 bottles of Arche cream, Zale Facial Cream and Sunblock, Compound ketoconazale Cream made in Thailand and China. Kien Giang Customs Enforcement Team is further investigating the cases.
In addition, in July, Ha Tien Border Gate Customs Branch (Kien Giang Customs Department) also seized 240 bottles of Ensure Gold milk, and the Customs Enforcement Team seized 300 packs of contraband foreign cigarettes.
For the air route, after international routes reopened at Phu Quoc airport, Phu Quoc Customs Branch has created favorable conditions for passengers on entry and exit, and taken professional measures to identify violations in a timely fashion.
On the afternoon of July 10, when scanning luggage for exit passengers on the flight from Phu Quoc to Laos, an officer of Phu Quoc Customs Branch inspected the hand luggage of a Laotian man named Mr. Nalinh Silavongsith, born in 1969, with suspicious signs and discovered cash including VND750 million and US$19,300 without customs declaration.
In July alone, Kien Giang Customs Department seized infringing goods worth over VND1.2 billion.
According to Kien Giang Customs Department, anti-smuggling control at the border is facing difficulties because border residents do not have stable jobs; the communication of the law for ethnic minorities living in the border areas is still limited, which partly affects the results of anti-smuggling work.
At the border gate area, there are many trails and openings, while the specialized force for customs control is not enough to arrange regular patrol and control work. The competent force has faced difficulties in seizing and handling smuggling, offenders often flee, making the investigation and verification to find the owner difficult. Smugglers often divide the goods into small volumes and in several trips. Therefore, the value of infringing goods in each case is low and not enough for criminal prosecution.
All entry and exit flights at Phu Quoc international airport have been strictly controlled by the Customs force. For sea routes and seaports, customs has coordinated with other agencies to carry out full procedures for ships in and out of seaports in the management area, but suspects often infiltrate tourists to commit crimes.
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Mr. Truong Minh An, Deputy Director of Kien Giang Customs Department, said: “The weather in the near future is the rainy season, making it difficult for travel, so smugglers will take advantage of difficult conditions to illegally trade and transport goods across the border, especially banned goods, high-tax and high-value goods. The Department will direct the units to review, strengthen patrol, control and applying professional measures; actively coordinate with units within the Customs sector and other authorities in the area to promptly detect and handle violations.”
By Dang Nguyen/ Huyen Trang