Illegal transportation of gold and currency across borders is increasing

(Dan Tri) - Illegal transportation of drugs, currency, and gold across the border shows signs of increasing on air routes, according to the Customs Department.

Informing the press about the work of fighting smuggling and trade fraud on the morning of May 7, the Customs Department ( Ministry of Finance ) said that the situation of smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and illegal transportation of goods is very complicated.

Violations on the sea route account for a large proportion with 52.8% of the cases detected, arrested and handled. Goods are mainly concentrated through important seaports such as Dinh Vu, Nam Hai Dinh Vu, Tan Vu, VIP Green, Cat Lai, ICD Phuoc Long, Hiep Phuoc, Vict, Cai Mep... The subjects mainly falsely declare the name of goods, type, quality, customs value, commodity code, origin.

According to the Department, illegal transportation of drugs, currency, and gold across the border has shown signs of increasing on the air route with increasingly sophisticated methods and tricks. Subjects take advantage of the open policies, the development of e-commerce, express delivery methods, and consignment services to smuggle, commit commercial fraud, and illegally transport goods.

1kg of suspected gold from a foreigner entering Vietnam by air was seized (Photo: Customs Department).

On the road, illegal trading and transportation of firecrackers and white sugar continues in the Central provinces and the Vietnam - Laos border.

The buying, selling and transporting of goods without invoices or documents proving their origin is still complicated, especially for frozen foods, consumer goods, cigarettes and tobacco leaves in the border areas of Vietnam - China and Vietnam - Cambodia.

In April, the number of detected, arrested and handled cases was 1,330, the value of infringing goods was estimated at 1,867 billion VND; down 73 cases (down 5.2%). State budget revenue reached 65.86 billion VND. The number of criminal cases decreased sharply, in which there were no cases prosecuted, the number of cases transferred for prosecution decreased from 15 cases to 12 cases (down 20%) compared to the same period.

In the first 4 months of the year, the number of cases detected, arrested and handled was 5,206, the value of infringing goods was estimated at 10,331 billion VND. The state budget revenue reached approximately 347.16 billion VND. The number of cases transferred for prosecution was 34.

Regarding the results of drug prevention and control work, the Customs Department said that in April, the Customs sector presided over and coordinated with the Police and Border Guard forces to detect and arrest 16 cases with 27 subjects. Of these, the Customs agency presided over 9 cases.

The seized exhibits included 1,517 kg of various drugs. Of which, 32.8 kg of marijuana; 3.7 kg of heroin; 1.86 kg of cocaine; 1,407 kg of ketamine; 72.4 kg of synthetic drugs; 1,599 synthetic drug pills.

More than 4.2 kg of drugs hidden in 26 boxes of functional food medicine were seized by the Customs Department at the end of April (Photo: Customs Department).

Trade balance of goods surplus of 3.8 billion USD

Regarding the situation of import and export goods, the Customs Department said that the total value of import and export goods in April reached 74.31 billion USD, down 1.4%, equivalent to a decrease of 1.06 billion USD compared to the previous month.

Of which, the export value reached 37.44 billion USD, down 2.8% (equivalent to a decrease of 1.06 billion USD) and the import value reached 36.87 billion USD, equivalent to the value of the previous month. Vietnam's trade balance of goods in April had a surplus of 0.57 billion USD, down 64.7% compared to the surplus of 1.64 billion USD of the previous month.

However, the total import-export value of goods in the first four months of the year reached 276.89 billion USD, an increase of 15.7% (equivalent to an increase of 37.51 billion USD) over the same period last year.

Of which, the export value reached 140.34 billion USD, up 13% (equivalent to an increase of 16.12 billion USD) and the import value reached 136.55 billion USD, up 18.6% (equivalent to an increase of 21.39 billion USD). Vietnam's trade balance of goods in the first 4 months of the year had a surplus of 3.8 billion USD, down 58.2% compared to the surplus of 9.05 billion USD in the same period last year.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/kinh-doanh/van-chuyen-trai-phep-vang-tien-te-qua-bien-gioi-gia-tang-20250507135106472.htm