As of May 30 this year, there were a total of 178 used cars (mostly manufactured in 2011, 2012 and 2013) imported by overseas Vietnamese that are held at ports.— Photo xalo

HCM CITY (Biz Hub)— The General Department of Customs has said that it will treat unclaimed cars at ports in several localities as abandoned property.

It has asked customs departments in Hai Phong, Da Nang, HCM City, Ba Ria – Vung Tau and Quang Ninh to coordinate closely with warehousing companies in initiating procedures for dealing with cars held at the port for more than 90 days.

Within five working days of receiving the report from the departments about cars in stock, a notice will be inserted in the media.

The customs departmenst will also issue notices to signatories of the bill of lading, asking them to complete procedures for the cars within 30 days. After that, the property will be considered abandoned and dealt with according to relevant regulations.

Customs officers have been asked to carefully verify each case and report to the General Department any evidence of smuggling.

As of May 30 this year, there were a total of 178 used cars (mostly manufactured in 2011, 2012 and 2013) imported by overseas Vietnamese that are held at ports.

Investigations have shown that legal ownership for these cars has not been established.

In many cases, the owners are illegal immigrants or do not have permanent residency in Viet Nam. In several other cases, the applications for importing cars do not meet set requirements. — VNS