VietNamNet Bridge – Prevention of illegal trade in northeastern Quang Ninh Province's coastline was increased during the first half of this year due to smugglers becoming more deceptive with more sophisticated tricks, according to Navy Force Unit No 1 of the Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department.

Border guards in northeastern Quang Ninh Province investigate a vessel which was confiscated after the crew were found to be smuggling coal. (Photo: VNS)

Smugglers often make use of unfavourable climate conditions or complicated terrain to transport goods to the bordering sea so as to avoid anti-smuggling stations, said Ngo Thanh Tuan, deputy head of Navy Force Unit No 1.

In addition, smugglers take advantage of the national temporary import for re-export policy. They temporarily import goods to northern Hai Phong city and then re-export to China by sea. However, at Van Gia border gate of Quang Ninh province, ultra-speed canoes are ready to carry goods back to Viet Nam for consumption purposes.

These illegal trading activities often occur at night, which makes it far more difficult for sea anti-smuggling forces to control.

Moreover, the speed of smugglers' canoes trebles that of the anti-smuggling groups; it is impossible for officers to keep pace with violators.

Particularly, smuggling magnates transport coal and titanium ore to China for consumption by using domestic transporting documents.

According to local customs units, traders often claim the transport of ore from the central region to northern areas including Quang Ninh Province and Hai Phong City. But the Navy Force Unit No 1's investigation finds the ore is actually carried to China.

More remarkably, some smugglers upgrade the loading capacities of their ships to increase the volume of coal without registering. Or, they mix registered coal packages with unknown ones for exporting.

Nguyen Hung Anh, head of Navy Force Unit No 1, predicted the smuggling situation in the latter half of this year would be much more complicated.

Navy Force Unit No 1 in particular, as well as the Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department are continuing to collect, analyse and evaluate information in the area. They are co-operating with related units to radically destroy smuggling rings.

At a conference on smuggling and trade fraud prevention earlier this year, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai required the Anti-Smuggling Steering Committee 127 to utilise more equipment and vehicles to better deal with the situation in months to come.

From earlier this year to mid May, Navy Force Unit No 1 caught five smuggled containers, seizing around 5,000 tonnes of coal and more than 10,000 foreign packs of cigarette cartons, worth nearly VND13 billion (US$619,000).

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News