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| Market Watch workers inspect goods seized from small traders. Smuggling is increasing in HCM City despite city authorities' efforts to stop it. — VNA/VNS Photo Quang Quyet |
HCM City (Biz Hub) — Smuggling, copyright piracy and other commercial offences are continuing despite their best efforts, HCM City authorities told Deputy Primer Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Monday.
So far this year the city investigated 43,217 suspected cases and uncovered 39,542 crimes — 3,241 related to selling prohibited and smuggled goods, 366 to fake, low-quality, and pirated goods, 10,607 to cheating, and 25,328 to other offences.
Police commenced criminal proceedings in 105 cases and plan to do so in 85 others. Over VND3 trillion (US$150 million) was seized from the offenders.
"Smuggling is very complicated. Smugglers resort to both official and unofficial imports, especially from China, Cambodia, and Laos," Phan Hoan Kiem, head of the city Market Watch Department, told Thoi Bao Kinh te Viet Nam (Viet Nam Economic Times) newspaper.
His department has asked the Government for funds to buy modern equipment and pay rewards to people helping bust smuggling activities.
Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai said, "Market Watch and other related authorities should work together and keep the pressure up against smuggling,"
Phuc, who heads the National Steering Committee on combating smuggling, hailed the city's efforts to combat smuggling, but noted that fake goods and fraud continue to badly impact businesses.
He said the city should improve management and personnel training to give anti-smuggling efforts a boost before Tet early next year, oversight of imports, and co-ordination among market authorities, border guards, and other related authorities.
"A model to mobilise the community to fight smuggling and commercial fraud should be created," he added. — VNS