Hundreds of used home electronics banned from import found in containers at Cat Lai Port in HCM City. (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) - Evidence of smuggling hasbeen uncovered at two major ports in Ho Chi Minh City, with prohibited goodsfound in several containers left unclaimed during the past month.
A container of 95 air conditioners, 279 usedbicycles missing several parts and three motorbikes was discovered by customsofficials at the Sai Gon Port’s Area 1 at the beginning of April, the HaiQuan (Customs) newspaper reported. They are all goods banned from import.
Prior to that, a container of 271 used airconditioners and 26 used refrigerators worth some 1.7 billion VND (74,600 USD)was discovered at Cat Lai Port. It was addressed to HTP Import-Export TradingCompany Ltd located in the northern province of Bac Ninh, but the companyrefused to claim the goods because they “never ordered” them.
However, investigations from customs officialsshowed that the company was listed as the recipient in the manifest of the shipthe goods were in, and the items found in the container matched those listed inthe manifest.
This indicated smuggling, according to the port’scustoms officials. The case has been transferred to the investigation police ofHCM City.
Some 200 other containers filled with goods bannedfrom import have been left unclaimed at the Cat Lai Port for more than 90 days.Investigations are underway.
Apart from common banned goods, thousands ofcontainers of imported scrap and metallic waste have also been left unclaimedat the port.
Alarmed by the situation, officials from the HCMCity Customs Department have applied measures to prevent non-standard scrapfrom being imported into Vietnam by dishonest customs declarations.
The department’s Customs Control Team discoveredthat several enterprises had successfully imported non-standard scrap to thecountry without import permits. One of their tricks is to list the scrap as“used plastic films” in the manifest, and present a customs declaration forused plastic films to claim the scrap when it arrives at the port.
On the massive amount of scrap imported intoVietnam, Pham Quang Nam, the team’s vice captain, said that it is nearlyimpossible to return non-standard scrap and metallic waste to exportingcountries since they are low-value goods, and some enterprises in Vietnam wereeven paid to import them.
“Trying to destroy them in Vietnam would createnegative impacts on the environment,” he added. “This is a major obstacle forcustoms agencies in preventing ‘trash’ to be imported to the country.”
Le Dinh Loi, Deputy Director of the HCM CityCustoms Department, said that shipping carriers should take responsibility forwhat they carry.
“They shouldn’t be shipping goods from one countryto another then leave them there without knowing who would come to get them,”he said. -VNA
A container of 95 air conditioners, 279 usedbicycles missing several parts and three motorbikes was discovered by customsofficials at the Sai Gon Port’s Area 1 at the beginning of April, the HaiQuan (Customs) newspaper reported. They are all goods banned from import.
Prior to that, a container of 271 used airconditioners and 26 used refrigerators worth some 1.7 billion VND (74,600 USD)was discovered at Cat Lai Port. It was addressed to HTP Import-Export TradingCompany Ltd located in the northern province of Bac Ninh, but the companyrefused to claim the goods because they “never ordered” them.
However, investigations from customs officialsshowed that the company was listed as the recipient in the manifest of the shipthe goods were in, and the items found in the container matched those listed inthe manifest.
This indicated smuggling, according to the port’scustoms officials. The case has been transferred to the investigation police ofHCM City.
Some 200 other containers filled with goods bannedfrom import have been left unclaimed at the Cat Lai Port for more than 90 days.Investigations are underway.
Apart from common banned goods, thousands ofcontainers of imported scrap and metallic waste have also been left unclaimedat the port.
Alarmed by the situation, officials from the HCMCity Customs Department have applied measures to prevent non-standard scrapfrom being imported into Vietnam by dishonest customs declarations.
The department’s Customs Control Team discoveredthat several enterprises had successfully imported non-standard scrap to thecountry without import permits. One of their tricks is to list the scrap as“used plastic films” in the manifest, and present a customs declaration forused plastic films to claim the scrap when it arrives at the port.
On the massive amount of scrap imported intoVietnam, Pham Quang Nam, the team’s vice captain, said that it is nearlyimpossible to return non-standard scrap and metallic waste to exportingcountries since they are low-value goods, and some enterprises in Vietnam wereeven paid to import them.
“Trying to destroy them in Vietnam would createnegative impacts on the environment,” he added. “This is a major obstacle forcustoms agencies in preventing ‘trash’ to be imported to the country.”
Le Dinh Loi, Deputy Director of the HCM CityCustoms Department, said that shipping carriers should take responsibility forwhat they carry.
“They shouldn’t be shipping goods from one countryto another then leave them there without knowing who would come to get them,”he said. -VNA
VNA
