Hanoi (VNA) – Smuggling cases found in 2017 were down in number but up invalue, said Deputy Director of the General Department of Customs’ Anti-SmugglingDepartment Nguyen Khanh Quang during a press conference recently held in Hanoi. 

Asof December 15, customs officers discovered 15,184 violation cases, down 1.97percent annually. However, the value of smuggled goods was over 789 billion VND(35 million USD), up 89.58 percent year-on-year and 334.8 billion VND (14.88million USD) of which was added to the State budget, marking a 95 percent surgefrom 2016.

Inborder gates, smuggled goods are mostly foreign currencies, counterfeit money,alcoholic beverages and beer, cigarettes, sugar, poultry, food, apparel,footwear, mobile phones, and kid toys. Meanwhile, petroleum, wood, minerals,wildlife, second-hand electronic and refrigeration appliances were smuggled viainternational seaports.

Bannedgoods of high value such as addictive substances, weapons, gold, wildlifeproducts, cigarettes, cosmetics, functional food were found via air and postaltransportation services

Thecustoms sector launched criminal proceedings against 51 cases and transferred68 others to other units for prosecution.

Inorder to improve the efficiency of the fight against smuggling and trade fraud,the sector will continue closely following the directions of the Party andState, the National Steering Committee 389, the Anti-Crime Steering Committee138, the Finance Ministry to build plans for the effort.

Itwill also use modern technology to combat manufacturing, trafficking and tradein banned and counterfeit goods, as well as trade fraud.

Further attention will also be paid to expanding tieswith border-sharing countries and personnel training.-VNA