ANTD.VN - In the last months of 2024 and early 2025, smuggling, trade fraud, and illegal transportation of goods across the border are complicated. Notably, violations related to consumer goods tend to increase, directly affecting businesses and consumers.
Detecting a series of smuggling cases
Implementing the Plan to combat smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods before, during and after the Lunar New Year 2025, on February 10, 2025, Market Management Team No. 6, Lang Son Provincial Market Management Department coordinated with the Traffic Police Department and the Economic Police Department, Lang Son Provincial Police to inspect the sea vehicle with control number 29C-962.39 driven by Mr. TTN (address in Vinh Tuong district, Vinh Phuc province).
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Authorities stop a shipment of smuggled sausages |
The search results found 3,967 bags of imported sausages hidden in the cargo compartment of the car, with foreign language printed on the packaging. Mr. TTN could not present invoices, documents or any other papers related to all of the above goods. The estimated value of the goods is over 200 million VND. Market Management Team No. 6 has temporarily detained all of the goods and coordinated with relevant agencies to handle the next steps according to the provisions of law.
In Hanoi, in order to strengthen the inspection and control of the market to ensure food safety before, during and after the Lunar New Year 2025. On January 20, 2025, Market Management Team No. 10 coordinated with the Criminal Investigation Police Team on crime, economy and drugs - Me Linh District Police to inspect a truck with license plate number 29H-521.xx. Through the inspection, it was discovered that the goods on the truck were 7,000 kg of pig intestines (contained in 207 foam boxes and 51 carton boxes) of unknown origin. Market Management Team No. 10 temporarily detained all the goods and the truck to continue to clarify and handle according to the provisions of law.
In Hai Duong, the inspection team of Market Management Team No. 1, Hai Duong Provincial Market Management Department coordinated with the Department of Investigation Police on Corruption, Economy, Smuggling and Environment, Hai Duong Provincial Police to suddenly inspect the business location (at address NV08.42, Tue Tinh Urban Area, Cam Thuong Ward, Hai Duong City) belonging to the business household owned by Mr. Ngo Manh Cuong. At the inspection location, there were 1,430 kg of dried red apples (food) which were smuggled goods. All of the exhibits showed signs of mold, dirt, did not ensure quality, food hygiene and safety, did not ensure safety for use, and posed a risk of harming human health when used. The total value of the exhibits was 78,650,000 VND.
Food is one of the consumer goods that has been smuggled a lot recently, especially during the Lunar New Year. The group of smuggled food products is increasingly diverse, from frozen organs, sausages, to red apples, sugar... This is just one of the consumer goods groups that have been discovered to be smuggled recently. In addition to these items, the authorities have also prevented many cases of transporting cigarettes, beer, wine, electric cars, air conditioners, textiles...
Regarding the situation of smuggling and trade fraud in January 2025, a representative of the General Department of Customs said that along with firecrackers, consumer goods are a group of goods that have been increasingly smuggled in recent times. Consumer goods are mainly transported across the borders of Vietnam - China, Vietnam - Laos, Vietnam - Cambodia. In previous years, smuggled goods were mainly fashion items such as clothes, handbags, shoes, perfumes, etc., but domestic consumer demand has changed, shifting to more essential goods, so smugglers have quickly seized this opportunity, causing smuggling to increase.
Smuggled consumer goods are often cheaper, have larger quantities, and are more diverse in design… competing directly with domestically produced goods, putting pressure on Vietnamese businesses. More dangerously, many smuggled consumer goods of unknown origin, no expiration date, and unclear quality standards are smuggled into the domestic market, posing a risk to consumers’ health.
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Representatives of the US Embassy and businesses worked with leaders of the General Department of Market Management to discuss solutions to coordinate in preventing smuggled raisins. |
Coordinated prevention
Due to the recent impact of smuggled goods, the US Embassy in Hanoi recently had a meeting with the leaders of the General Department of Market Management to strengthen inspection and handling of violations of Sunview raisins (USA) in the Vietnamese market. At this meeting, Mr. Tran Huu Linh - Director General of the General Department of Market Management shared that the problem of smuggled and counterfeit goods in the Vietnamese market is very complicated, with tens of thousands of items in both traditional and e-commerce environments.
Therefore, along with the efforts of the authorities, related businesses need to promptly exchange information about products suspected of violating the law so that the authorities can speed up the inspection process, thereby handling violations more effectively. Sunview brand raisins are mainly smuggled into Vietnam, then through large sources to retail stores on the street. Along with that, a large amount is smuggled and sold on e-commerce platforms.
However, to effectively handle violations, the leaders of the General Department of Market Management requested that the US representative coordinate to regularly provide information to the General Department of Market Management. Along with that, the Market Management force will warn consumers to be cautious, thereby reducing demand, affecting the supply of smuggled goods. The leaders of the General Department of Market Management added that in 2025, the functional forces will continue to strengthen the work of inspecting and controlling the market, handling violations in the e-commerce environment to contribute to the health of the market.
The representative of the General Department of Customs also said that in order to prevent violations of goods in the market, the customs force will not let unresolved violations, decisions on administrative sanctions not yet implemented, and limit the occurrence of problems in handling administrative violations when switching to the new organizational model. The General Department of Customs has directed the provincial and municipal Customs Departments and related units to review and promptly, thoroughly and quickly handle detected violations; promptly conduct verification and exchange opinions with related agencies to clarify cases with signs of violations for timely handling in Official Dispatch No. 191/TCHQ-PC dated January 13, 2025. At the same time, build positions with the authority to handle administrative violations after the new organizational model is available.
According to experts, the business of counterfeit and smuggled goods is still rampant, and handling violations by the police, market management, customs or border guards is not enough, but requires the joint participation of ministries, branches, localities, people and businesses. In particular, people and businesses contribute to preventing counterfeit and smuggled goods in the role of "smart consumers", not consuming goods of unknown origin on cyberspace, and at the same time reporting to authorities when detecting violations of transporting and consuming counterfeit and smuggled goods.
Source: https://www.anninhthudo.vn/tich-cuc-ngan-chan-buon-lau-hang-tieu-dung-post603565.antd
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