Mong Cai Customs tightens area, handles smuggling

Along with promoting import and export activities, Mong Cai Border Gate Customs Branch (Mong Cai Customs) has strengthened inspection and supervision of import and export goods, combating smuggling, trade fraud and illegal transportation of goods across the border, especially before, during and after the Lunar New Year 2025.

Officers of Mong Cai Border Gate Customs Branch inspect and supervise international passenger vehicles passing through Bac Luan II Bridge Customs Clearance. — Officers of Mong Cai Border Gate Customs Branch inspect and supervise international passenger vehicles through Bac Luan II Bridge Customs Clearance.

With the determination to manage the area, control the situation, restrain the subjects; resolutely not to let the hot spots of smuggling, trade fraud, illegal transportation of goods and drugs across the border form within the customs operation area, Mong Cai Customs has deployed teams and working groups to strictly control key goods and goods with high domestic consumption demand, not to let hot spots of smuggling and illegal transportation of goods arise through border gates and openings. Closely coordinate with agencies, units and functional forces in the area (Police, Border Guard, Market Management, Quarantine) to exchange information, patrol and control to promptly detect, arrest and strictly handle acts of smuggling and illegal transportation of goods within and outside the customs operation area.

The unit also strengthens inspection and supervision work combined with effective use of specialized equipment (luggage scanners, container scanners, surveillance cameras, drug testing machines, etc.), Service dogs for import and export goods in general, temporarily imported and re-exported goods, goods sent to bonded warehouses, processed goods, export production , Goods bought and sold by border residents in particular and luggage carried by passengers and means of transport to prevent and stop violations in border gate areas and openings.

The Sub-Department strengthens risk control for imported and exported luggage through Bac Luan I Border Gate; items with potential risks in transporting drugs, precursors, and wild animals; taking advantage of green lane declarations and taking advantage of export production for smuggling and tax evasion; maintaining a hotline to receive and handle denunciations and reports of crimes according to regulations; receiving and processing information transferred from the General Department of Customs and the Provincial Customs Department to establish effective inspection, supervision, and control plans.

Mong Cai Customs regularly disseminates and educates the law to the business community and people, aiming to raise awareness of law compliance, not to participate in or assist smugglers and illegal transport of goods across the border. In 2024, the Sub-Department proactively coordinated with local Party committees, authorities, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, local mass organizations and functional forces (Police, Border Guards, etc.) to organize 6 conferences to disseminate the Customs Law, the Import-Export Tax Law, state management of Customs for the purchase and sale of goods by border residents, regulations on foreign currency in cash, Vietnamese Dong in cash, gold, precious metals, and gemstones that must be declared to customs when entering and leaving through Mong Cai International Border Gate in 6 border wards and communes with the participation of over 500 officials and people in the border area.

Mong Cai Border Gate Customs Branch processed and destroyed seized sausages on January 19, 2024. (Photo provided by the unit).

In 2024, Mong Cai Customs presided over the arrest and handling of 83 administrative violations; total value of over 2.27 billion VND (an increase of 27% in number of cases and 38% in value compared to 2023); coordinated the arrest of 28 cases; total value of over 1.76 billion VND. Violations were mainly related to cosmetics of all kinds, children's toys, counterfeit goods, food, etc.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Ha, Deputy Head of Mong Cai Border Gate Customs Branch, said: At the end of the year, the demand for border residents to cross at Bac Luan Bridge I Border Gate increases, the unit is increasing both personnel and equipment to effectively control and prevent smuggling during the entry and exit process of people and border residents. At the same time, synchronously and effectively deploy professional customs control measures; regularly patrol and control, closely coordinate with units inside and outside the industry in border gate areas, centralized inspection locations, export points, trails, border openings... to prevent illegal entry and exit as well as ensure timely handling of smuggling and illegal transportation of counterfeit goods, fake goods, prohibited goods, drugs, precursors, consumer goods, intellectual property, goods such as masks, medical equipment, livestock, poultry, live animals...

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