Deputy PM urges to double effort to fight smuggling

Hanoi (VNA) – No areas should be sealed off in the combat against smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods, said Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh.

The official made the request at a working session with the National Steering Committee on Prevention and Control of Smuggling, Trade Fraud and Fake Commodities (Committee 389) in Hanoi on May 31.

He asked the committee to guide ministries, agencies, localities and competent agencies to perform well the tasks put forth in the Government’s Resolution No. 41/NQ-CP dated June 9, 2015 on stepping up efforts against smuggling, trade fraud and fake goods in the new situation.

Besides this, more effort should be focused on inspections in a bid to bring into light those tolerating these bad deeds or not fulfilling their assigned tasks, said Binh, who is also head of Committee 389.

In the same vein, the committee needs to complete relevant mechanisms and regulations to closely supervise the temporary import for re- export model, as well as business activities relating to food safety, the Deputy PM requested.

Another job is to raise public awareness of the harmful effects caused by smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods, he said, urging the committee to play a more active role in learning about serious cases of public concern and closely coordinate with the press, socio-political organisations and associations in this regard.

The committee reported that in the first five months of this year, especially during the Lunar New Year festival, complicated smuggling and trade fraud took place nationwide due to increasing consumption demands.

Violations mainly occurred in border areas and via air and sea routes with drugs, firecrackers, explosives, oil and gas, wild animals and their products, wine, tobacco, food, pharmaceutical products, cosmetics and electronics as the main smuggled goods.

Notably, there have been organisations and individuals illegally using chemicals and addictives in production, cultivation and animal husbandry, which have potentially affected human health and sparked public worries.

Thanks to the committee’s guidelines, the combat, particularly in major cities and border provinces, has shown positive signs, contributing to ensuring national security and social safety.

During January-May, competent agencies handled more than 78,300 cases of smuggling and trade fraud and contributed nearly 5.3 trillion VND (238.8 million USD) to the State coffers.

The most noteworthy of these was a case where 1.84 kg of cocaine was seized at Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport; another case with 143.5 kg of elephants tusks and their products at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, and a case where 42,000 methamphetamine pills were confiscated in the central province of Quang Tri.-VNA