HANOI: Authorities in Vietnam have intercepted illegal consignments of hundreds of used air conditioners in three separate incidents this month.
Police action taken under the Asian Network for Prevention of Illegal Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes also resulted in a raid on a warehouse in Ho Chi Minh City, netting hundreds of used refrigerators and air conditioners amongst a hoard of waste electronic goods.
According to reports in Vietnam’s Customs News, over 300 sets of used air conditioners were seized at Cat Lai port, Ho Chi Minh City, last week in a consignment from Japan. Customs officers discovered 326 outdoor units and 319 indoor units of various brands amongst other prohibited waste goods.
On May 18, customs officers at the port of Cai Mep, Vung Tau, found hundreds of waste air conditioners upon opening an unclaimed shipment that had arrived in April. A day earlier the same officers had seized air conditioners and refrigerators in a separate shipment. Since the beginning of this year, Cai Mep port customs claims to have checked and seized 10 containers of illegally imported goods, used electronics and refrigeration product.
On April 25, police raided a warehouse in Ho Chi Minh City to find it full of around 500 waste refrigerators and air conditioners amongst other banned used household electrical goods. All had been illegally imported into Vietnam.
