Illustrative image (Source: petrotimes.vn)As Lunar New Year (Tet) is coming up in four months, smuggling rings are moving their imported goods to the domestic market in preparation for New Year consumption.
From September 14 to 18, Hanoi Police's Economic Crime Investigation Department (PC46) seized over 20 tonnes of illegally imported goods worth more than 3 billion VND (130,000 USD), according to Lao Dong (The Labour) newspaper.
The smuggled goods included mainly clothes and household goods, which will be consumed in large amounts during the upcoming Lunar New Year.
According to Senior Lieutenant Colonel Thanh Kien Trung, PC46 deputy head, the places where smugglers collect counterfeit goods have changed regularly and varied greatly.
After being transported to the domestic market, the goods are legalised by bills and partly loaded on cars with seven to 16 seats or high-powered motorcycles. The goods are finally moved to open areas for consumption, said Trung.
Some smugglers pretend to be wounded soldiers and oppose the supervision of police and local authorities, he said.
"We found smugglers' sophisticated tricks to elude police detection, for example, changing vehicle plate numbers or mobilising a protection force from the underworld," said Than Duc Cong, deputy head of anti-counterfeiting division under Market Surveillance Agency.
As the trade of smuggled goods is on the increase, the Government, the National Steering Committee on the Prevention and Control of Smuggling, Trade Fraud and Fake Commodities (or Steering Committee 389) and the Ministry of Industry and Trade have paid attention to curbing illegal activities.
From now to the end of the year, the agency would step up inspections on smuggled and banned goods originating from China such as firecrackers, cigarettes, food, drinks, and violent toys, the newspaper reported.
Illegally imported items are gathered in the provinces which are adjacent to Hanoi. The goods will be then divided into smaller packs to be transported into the city. It is very difficult to combat smugglers, said Dang Hong Duong from the Hanoi police team fighting smuggling and banned goods.
To crack down on serious smuggling cases, Hanoi police will continue to investigate the new tricks of smugglers and investigate provinces surrounding the city.-VNA
