At the end of the year, people's demand for goods increases sharply. This is also the time when smuggling, trade fraud, production and trade of banned and counterfeit goods become more complicated and increase. To stabilize the goods market, the authorities are strengthening inspection, control and strictly handling violations in commercial business.

In October 2024, Quang Ninh Customs took the lead in detecting, arresting and handling 10 cases of smuggling, illegal transportation of goods across the border, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, with the value of infringing goods being 120 million VND; coordinating to arrest 5 cases outside the sector, with the value of goods being 1.2 billion VND. Accumulated from December 2023 to October 2024, Quang Ninh Customs took the lead in detecting, arresting and handling 205 cases, with the value of infringing goods being nearly 7 billion VND, an increase of 8.46% in the number of cases and an increase of 26.2% in the value over the same period in 2023; coordinating to arrest 93 cases, with the value of infringing goods being 13,488 million VND, an increase of 72.2% in the number of cases and an increase of 524% in the value of coordinated arrests.

In the last months of 2024, it is forecasted that the situation of smuggling and illegal transportation of goods across the border will become more complicated. Subjects continue to take advantage of the border resident policy, hide illegal goods on their person, and mix prohibited items and high-value goods into luggage, such as foreign currency, cigarettes, mobile phones, etc. through entry and exit activities. Subjects take advantage of complex and long terrain, large water areas, and peak times to illegally transport goods such as frozen foods, seafood, breeding animals, poultry, coal, gasoline, etc. Inland, subjects take advantage of e-commerce platforms and express delivery services, delivering goods through the postal system to carry out smuggling and tax evasion.

To continue to fight and effectively prevent smuggling, illegal transportation of goods across the border, trade fraud, counterfeit goods and drugs, the Quang Ninh Provincial Customs Department has strengthened inspection, control and organized information collection, grasped the situation of smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods through key routes and areas to control the area well according to plan; thoroughly grasped and strictly implemented the direction of the General Department of Customs, the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Committee and the Provincial Steering Committee 389 on the work of combating smuggling, trade fraud and illegal transportation of goods across the border.

Together with the Customs, the provincial Market Management Force also stepped up the direction of local Market Management Teams to strengthen patrols and control the market at the end of the year, to prevent the formation of hot spots for trading and transporting counterfeit goods and goods of unknown origin, and to strictly control business on the Internet. Thereby, the Market Management Force discovered and handled many cases of illegal trading of goods.

Typically, on September 23, 24, and 25, 2024, Market Management Team No. 5 coordinated with Ha Long City Police to inspect and handle 4 cases of using social networks to sell electronic cigarette products, fined 27 million VND, and forced the destruction of nearly 700 products including electronic cigarette machines and essential oils for smoking electronic cigarettes. Previously, on October 19, in the area at Km 250+200 National Highway 18, Quang Chinh Commune (Hai Ha District), Market Management Team No. 1 coordinated with the Traffic Police (Provincial Police) to inspect and detect car with license plate 14C-381.30 transporting 1,900 kg of duck breast brand YAXIONG, made in China (5 kg/bag). Through inspection and verification, the driver and vehicle owner admitted to purchasing the above goods at markets in Hai Ha district, then freezing and transporting them domestically for consumption. The goods did not have invoices, vouchers, or legal documents attached, with the total value of the smuggled goods being 133 million VND. Considering the case had signs of crime, Market Management Team No. 1 reported to the Provincial Market Management Department and handed over the entire case file to the prosecution agency for further verification, clarification, and handling in accordance with the law.

According to statistics from the Provincial Market Management Department, in October 2024, the Provincial Market Management force inspected 94 cases, detected and handled 70 cases/70 subjects/74 administrative violations with a total amount of over 750 million VND. Of which, the administrative violation fine was 376 million VND, the value of destroyed goods was over 373 million VND.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hung, Director of the Provincial Market Management Department, said: At the end of the year, violations related to goods mainly focus on fraud in invoices and documents to evade taxes; not ensuring the quality of goods; not posting prices and selling at listed prices; trading in counterfeit and poor quality goods; illegal transportation of goods, food, cosmetics, electronic cigarettes, alcohol, beer of unknown origin; taking advantage of the market, selling poor quality goods, of unknown origin on social networking platforms... To control and ensure the market at the end of the year, the Provincial Market Management Department has developed and issued a Plan for the peak period against smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods in the last months of 2024; before, during and after the Lunar New Year 2025. In particular, focusing on controlling goods with high consumption during Tet such as cakes, jams, candies, alcohol, cigarettes, soft drinks; food products from livestock and poultry; clothing, fashion accessories; pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, functional foods, medicinal herbs...