Inspectors from Tay Ninh’s Market Watch Department check motorbike helmets (Photo: VNA) Hanoi, March 19 (VNA) - The police,army and customs are acting together against smuggling and counterfeiting, butthe results fall short of expectations because the crimes are getting moresophisticated, officials said.
Authorities discovered 27,327 casesof smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeiting in the first two months of thisyear, the National Steering Committee for the Prevention and Control ofSmuggling, Trade Fraud and Fake Commodities (also known as the 389 Committee)reported on March 17. It said 304 cases were taken to court.
As many as 223,262 cases ofviolations were handled last year, up 8.23 percent year-on-year, the committeesaid.
Administrative fines totaling over 21.5trillion VND (940 million USD), up nearly 60 percent over 2015, were submittedto the State Budget.
Relevant authorities prosecuted1,560 cases and 1,863 people involved.
Dam Thanh The, Chief of Office ofthe 389 Committee, said the smuggling of fake goods was getting morecomplicated as smugglers were using sophisticated techniques.
Despite several agenciesco-operating with each other in cracking down on smuggling and other crimes,the results had not been as good as expected, he said.
“Fake goods are still rampant (inthe market) and criminals have become more and more artful,” The added.
He said six separate agencies areresponsible for preventing and fighting smuggling and trade fraud: customs,border police, police, tax authorities, maritime police and market managementforces. However, fake goods continued to flood the market because ofineffective co-ordination among several agencies and law enforcement.
Apart from smuggling and tradefraud, there is a pressing need to fight the evils of corruption and moraldegeneration. "Those who abuse their positions and power to sponsor crimeshould be dealt with strictly," The said,
In 2017, the 398 Committee willintensify its focus on clarifying responsibilities of heads of ministries,agencies and localities for letting smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeitproducts happen in areas under their jurisdiction.
Those found not fulfilling theirtasks or caught covering up illegal activities would be strictly punished, Thesaid.
Any official caught facilitatingserious and prolonged smuggling and other forms of crime, arousing publicindignation, would be severely penalised, and even be charged with criminalliability.
In cases where there is insufficientdirect evidence, but sufficient circumstantial evidence of collusion withcriminals, all concerned officials would be transferred to other jobs, headded.
He said the 389 Steering Committeehad directed its standing office to be available 24 hours on two hotlines 0981.389.389and 0961.389.389 to receive any information and ideas as well as publicpetitions against smuggling activities.
Since the establishment of thehotline, the 389 Committee has received hundreds of reports of violations, ofwhich 114 with adequate proof were transferred to competent authorities forfurther investigation.
This led to the seizure of 90,000smuggled JET and HERO cigarettes without legal stamps in Tay Ninh province andthe launching of an investigation into suspected smuggling of 21 containerswith over 10 million packs of foreign cigarettes found at Quy Nhon Port in BinhDinh province.-VNA
Authorities discovered 27,327 casesof smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeiting in the first two months of thisyear, the National Steering Committee for the Prevention and Control ofSmuggling, Trade Fraud and Fake Commodities (also known as the 389 Committee)reported on March 17. It said 304 cases were taken to court.
As many as 223,262 cases ofviolations were handled last year, up 8.23 percent year-on-year, the committeesaid.
Administrative fines totaling over 21.5trillion VND (940 million USD), up nearly 60 percent over 2015, were submittedto the State Budget.
Relevant authorities prosecuted1,560 cases and 1,863 people involved.
Dam Thanh The, Chief of Office ofthe 389 Committee, said the smuggling of fake goods was getting morecomplicated as smugglers were using sophisticated techniques.
Despite several agenciesco-operating with each other in cracking down on smuggling and other crimes,the results had not been as good as expected, he said.
“Fake goods are still rampant (inthe market) and criminals have become more and more artful,” The added.
He said six separate agencies areresponsible for preventing and fighting smuggling and trade fraud: customs,border police, police, tax authorities, maritime police and market managementforces. However, fake goods continued to flood the market because ofineffective co-ordination among several agencies and law enforcement.
Apart from smuggling and tradefraud, there is a pressing need to fight the evils of corruption and moraldegeneration. "Those who abuse their positions and power to sponsor crimeshould be dealt with strictly," The said,
In 2017, the 398 Committee willintensify its focus on clarifying responsibilities of heads of ministries,agencies and localities for letting smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeitproducts happen in areas under their jurisdiction.
Those found not fulfilling theirtasks or caught covering up illegal activities would be strictly punished, Thesaid.
Any official caught facilitatingserious and prolonged smuggling and other forms of crime, arousing publicindignation, would be severely penalised, and even be charged with criminalliability.
In cases where there is insufficientdirect evidence, but sufficient circumstantial evidence of collusion withcriminals, all concerned officials would be transferred to other jobs, headded.
He said the 389 Steering Committeehad directed its standing office to be available 24 hours on two hotlines 0981.389.389and 0961.389.389 to receive any information and ideas as well as publicpetitions against smuggling activities.
Since the establishment of thehotline, the 389 Committee has received hundreds of reports of violations, ofwhich 114 with adequate proof were transferred to competent authorities forfurther investigation.
This led to the seizure of 90,000smuggled JET and HERO cigarettes without legal stamps in Tay Ninh province andthe launching of an investigation into suspected smuggling of 21 containerswith over 10 million packs of foreign cigarettes found at Quy Nhon Port in BinhDinh province.-VNA
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