HA NOI: About 150,000 cases of smuggling and trade fraud were detected in the first 10 months of this year, an increase of 30 per cent over the same period last year.
These statistics were released yesterday at a meeting of the National Steering Committee on the Prevention and Control of Smuggling, Trade Fraud and Fake Commodities (or Steering Committee 389).
The committee said more than VND8.7 trillion (US$3.9 billion) was contributed to the state budget during this period through seizures of smuggled goods.
At the meeting, the officials said the smuggling of fake goods was getting more complicated with criminals using more cunning methods. The most common contraband goods are drugs, cosmetics, supplementary food and electronic items, besides refrigerated goods and clothes.
“Smuggling operations are getting more sophisticated in the three northern provinces of Quang Ninh, Lang Son and Cao Bang,” said Deputy Director of the General Department of Police under the Minister of Public Security Lieutenant-General Dong Dai Loc.
“If we do not tighten control over smuggling, counterfeit goods and piracy, they will not be rooted out,” Loc said.
Head of the 389 Committee Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc highly appreciated the anti-smuggling actions taken by the committee, but also said some ministries, departments and sectors had failed to report several cases of smuggling.
Phuc asked the committee to strengthen the investigation and assessment capacities in hotspots of smuggling and trade fraud as well as to impose strict punishment on smugglers.
Phuc said the market watch force should co-operate with other government agencies to monitor smuggling activities and trade fraud on a larger scale, and improve discipline and transparency of officials at all levels.
