HÀ NỘI — Nearly 75,300 cases of smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods were detected in the first half of this year, down 12 per cent compared with the same period last year, according to Deputy Minister of Public Security, Senior Lieutenant General Lê Quý Vương.

Criminal investigations and legal proceedings were launched in 1,128 cases involving 1,346 suspects. The numbers of cases and suspects reduced 14 per cent and 13 per cent respectively compared with the same period last year, he said at a meeting of the National Steering Committee 389 for Anti-smuggling, Counterfeit Goods and Trade Fraud held on Thursday.

Cracking down on smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods helped add nearly VNĐ11.3 trillion (US$490 million) to the State budget.

As many as 23,465 crimes were reported in the last six months, a year-on-year reduction of 8.4 per cent, Vương said, adding that cybercrimes were more and more complicated and hidden.

He said the public was very concerned over violations relating to speculation, smuggling and producing fake medical products during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly bidding and purchasing of medical equipment serving disease prevention and control.   

Nguyễn Văn Cẩn, director-general of Việt Nam Customs said that early this month, customs officers found 50,000 Chinese bikes and electronic bikes labelled as Made-in-Việt Nam products for export to the US.

Notably, customs also found a company that illegally falsified certificate of origin (C/O) and issued it to 30 exporting companies with the value of exported goods worth VNĐ600 billion ($26 million) while the company was not authorised to grant C/O.

“This kind of trade fraud is seen for the first time in Việt Nam,” Cẩn said, adding that customs and economic police were working together and would soon launch legal proceedings in the case.

However, Deputy Prime Minister Trương Hoà Bình said crimes relating to smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods were still a big problem due to irresponsibility, loose management and corrupted State employees.

Bình, also head of the National Steering Committee 389 for Anti-smuggling, Counterfeit Goods and Trade Fraud, said that in the first half of this year, authorities, agencies and the committee did a good job in tackling corruption, particularly in cases relating to land management and public investment.

However, there remained a group of corrupt State employees who abetted and covered up crimes, he said, adding that they would be strictly punished. — VNS