Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has a working session with the Ministry of Defence in Hanoi on August 20 on cooperation in fighting smuggling, trade frauds, and counterfeits.

Phuc is currently heading the National Steering Committee on combating smuggling, trade frauds, and counterfeits.

The ministry reported that in the first seven months of 2014, drug trafficking, counterfeit smuggling and other kinds of crime along the country’s shared borderline were complicated.

It noted the increasing smuggling of coal, ores, petrol, tobacco, sugar, foreign currencies, precious metals, and consumer goods through border gates, customs clearance sites, jungle paths, sea ports, and railways.

Over the period, military forces uncovered 854 drug cases involved 1,142 traffickers, seizing 754 bricks of heroin, and 28.93kg of synthetic drugs. They detained 1,278 goods smugglers from 1,472 cases.

Speaking highly of the ministry’s efforts in crime prevention, Phuc particularly asked border guard forces to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam’s neighbours to address smuggling.

He asked for intensifying the patrol along the borderline as well as at sea and strictly punishing those lending a hand to smugglers.

Phuc also suggested the ministry and other agencies proactively work with the press in communication campaigns to raise awareness of people, especially those in border areas, of the issue.-VNA