Law

New tricks of criminals smuggling across borders

Tien Dong DNUM_CHZAFZCACF 19:37

Recently, the smuggling situation at Nam Can International Border Gate has always been complicated. Smugglers have used many new tricks to deceive the authorities.

New tricks and tactics

Nam Can International Border Gate is one of the key areas for goods trading and border crossing between Vietnam and Laos via National Highway 7. Around this area, there are many openings and a system of trails on both sides of the border. Along with that, because this is an area with rugged mountainous terrain and a sparse population, smugglers, especially drug and firecracker smugglers, often use many tricks, making it difficult for authorities to prevent and combat this crime.

Cửa khẩu Quốc tế Nậm Cắn là một trong những địa bàn trọng điểm về giao thương hàng hoá và qua lại biên giới giữa Việt Nam và Lào. Đi liền với đó, tình hình buôn lậu, gian lận thương mại tại đây luôn tiềm ẩn những diễn biến phức tạp, đòi hỏi sự vào cuộc quyết liệt và thường xuyên của các lực lượng chức năng. Ảnh: Tiến Đông
Nam Can International Border Gate is one of the key areas for goods trading and border crossing between Vietnam and Laos on National Highway 7. Photo: Tien Dong

On February 14, 2025, the Border Guard force, in coordination with the Customs and PC04 Department, the Provincial Police, arrested two subjects: Bounhak SonLi Nhong (born in 1981, Lao nationality) and L.D.Q (born in 1998, Vietnamese nationality), transporting 30kg of crystal meth. The method these subjects used was to hide the drugs near border markers in Ta Ca commune (Ky Son), then people and cars entered the country through Nam Can International Border Gate and then delivered the goods for sale.

Các đối tượng và tang vật thu giữ được trong vụ bắt giữ 70kg ketamine vào ngày 4/11/2024. Ảnh: CQCNCC
The subjects and evidence seized in the arrest of 70kg of ketamine on November 4, 2024. Photo: Document

Or as before, on November 4, 2024, during the control process at Nam Can International Border Gate area, the authorities caught 5 foreigners red-handed illegally transporting drugs.

Notably, at the scene, authorities discovered 70kg of ketamine hidden in the driver's seat and in the gas tank.

Để đảm bảo an ninh biên giới và ổn định hoạt động giao thương tại cửa khẩu, các lực lượng chức năng đã phối hợp chặt chẽ trong việc tuần tra, giám sát, đặc biệt tập trung vào phát hiện, ngăn chặn các hành vi buôn lậu, vận chuyển hàng cấm, xuất nhập cảnh trái phép. Trong ảnh, lực lượng Biên phòng kiểm tra giấy tờ của phương tiện chuẩn bị xuất cảnh. Ảnh: Tiến Đông
Border guards check documents of vehicles preparing to leave the country. Photo: Tien Dong

Major Le Van Trung - Deputy Chief in charge of operations, Nam Can Border Guard Station, said: The tricks of smugglers are increasingly sophisticated, often taking advantage of difficult terrain, darkness, or hiding goods in means of transport or personal luggage to deceive authorities.

In particular, taking advantage of the fact that vehicles passing through the border gate cannot be scanned, many smugglers of prohibited goods such as drugs and firecrackers have used tricks to modify the gas tank or chassis of cars to hide their goods. If the authorities do not have the expertise or the sniffer dogs to check, it is very difficult to detect.

Through the detected cases, it is shown that the common smuggled goods and methods of the subjects across this border are mainly firecrackers, wild animals and animal products, drugs, rare woods, and even acts of organizing illegal border crossings.

According to the statistics, from December 15, 2024 to May 14, 2025, the authorities at Nam Can International Border Gate have fought and arrested 4 cases of smuggling and illegal transportation of goods across the border; 5 cases of using expired means of transport. The Border Guard also discovered and arrested 1 case/1 subject for organizing illegal entry and exit for others. In addition, 19 cases/23 subjects were administratively sanctioned, collecting nearly 50 million VND to the State budget.

Strengthening coordination control

Mr. Duong Cong Ly - Captain of Nam Can International Border Gate Customs, said that in addition to tricks to trade in prohibited goods such as drugs and firecrackers, recently, taking advantage of the high price of gold in Vietnam, many domestic subjects have sought to connect with subjects in Laos to find ways to buy cheap gold bars and jewelry and then smuggle them into Vietnam through border gates.

Tại Cửa khẩu Quốc tế Nậm Cắn, ngoài lực lượng Biên phòng còn có lực lượng Hải quan, Công an, Kiểm dịch để kiểm soát người, phương tiện, hàng hoá qua lại giữa hai bên biên giới. Ảnh: Tiến Đông
At Nam Can International Border Gate, in addition to the Border Guard force, there are also Customs, Police, and Quarantine forces to control people, vehicles, and goods passing between the two sides of the border. Photo: Tien Dong

Although no gold smugglers have been arrested at Nam Can International Border Gate, there are actually some suspects who are trying to build routes to smuggle gold. Specifically, since the beginning of this year, authorities have discovered that many people entering Vietnam brought an unusually large amount of gold jewelry. However, upon inspection, it was all fake gold.

"According to Circular 52/2017/TT-BTC dated May 19, 2017 of the Ministry of Finance, people entering and exiting the country with passports or travel documents, when carrying gold bars or gold jewelry with a total weight of 300 grams or more, must declare to the Customs. Once the domestic gold price increases, with a large difference with the gold price in Laos, smugglers will certainly not hesitate to find ways to smuggle it into Vietnam" - Mr. Ly commented.

Các đơn vị được trang bị cả chó nghiệp vụ đã phối hợp chặt chẽ trong việc tuần tra, giám sát, đặc biệt tập trung vào phát hiện, ngăn chặn các hành vi buôn lậu, vận chuyển hàng cấm, xuất nhập cảnh trái phép. Nhờ đó mà những tháng đầu năm 2025, các lực lượng chức năng tại Cửa khẩu Quốc tế Nậm Cắn đã phát hiện và bắt giữ nhiều đối tượng có hành vi buôn lậu, vận chuyển hàng cấm như ma tuý, pháo nổ qua biên giới. Ảnh: Tiến Đông
Units equipped with sniffer dogs have closely coordinated in patrolling and monitoring, focusing especially on detecting and preventing smuggling, transporting prohibited goods, and illegal entry and exit. Photo: Tien Dong

Mr. Ly also emphasized that, in the face of the complicated situation of smuggling and illegal transportation of goods across the border at Nam Can International Border Gate, the Border Guard, Customs, Nam Can Commune Police and other forces have closely coordinated, using screening equipment and sniffer dogs for inspection. At the same time,assign staff to regularly patrol and control the areamanagement unit to prevent, detect, arrest traffickerssmuggling, illegal transportation of goods across borders and other violations of the law.

Hành lý của du khách được kiểm tra kỹ càng qua hệ thống máy soi chiếu. Ảnh: Tiến Đông
Luggage of foreign tourists entering Vietnam is carefully checked through the screening system. Photo: Tien Dong

According to our research, we know that the Provincial Border Guard Command and the Nghe An Provincial Customs Department (now the Regional Customs Department XI in charge of Nghe An and Ha Tinh) have also signed a coordination regulation. Thereby, promoting the strength of solidarity and cohesion, ensuring the implementation of the functions, tasks and powers assigned to each side in the fight against all types of crimes. Thereby, contributing to ensuring border security and stabilizing trade activities between the two border gates.

Video of strengthening control at Nam Can International Border Gate. Clip: Tien Dong

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New tricks of criminals smuggling across borders
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