Nghe An: Many wards and communes are taking decisive action against smuggling and trade fraud.
In the context of increasingly deep economic integration and the boom in e-commerce, the consumer market in Nghe An has become diverse and vibrant. However, this is accompanied by complex developments in smuggling, trade fraud, and the production and sale of counterfeit goods. This requires the involvement of all levels, sectors, and localities, especially at the commune and ward levels – those closest to production and business establishments.
Identifying the situation
Recently, despite frequent raids, inspections, and controls by authorities, the situation regarding smuggling and trade fraud in the province remains unpredictable.
For example, on September 21st, the Truong Vinh Ward Police, in coordination with Market Management Team No. 3 of the Market Management Department, conducted an inspection at a frozen food facility (belonging to Viet-Duc Food Trading Co., Ltd.) in Vinh Tan 1 block, Truong Vinh ward, owned by Mr. TSĐ (born in 1979, residing in Thanh Vinh ward, Nghe An province). The inspection revealed 3,600 frozen chicken feet, 500 cheese sausages, and 500 pieces of fermented pork sausage, all packed in paper bags and sacks without labels or information about the place of production or expiration date. The owner could not produce invoices or documents proving the origin of the goods.
Previously, on September 17th, the Economic, Corruption, Smuggling, and Environmental Crime Investigation Department of the Nghe An Provincial Police, in coordination with other functional forces, simultaneously inspected mooncake businesses in the area. During the inspection, authorities discovered and dealt with two mooncake businesses on Cao Xuan Huy Street and Nguyen Van Cu Street (both in Truong Vinh Ward), seizing 4,174 mooncakes of unknown origin.
In May 2025, the Economic, Corruption, Smuggling, and Environmental Crime Investigation Department of the Nghe An Provincial Police, in coordination with Market Management Team No. 1 (Nghe An Market Management Department), inspected a truck with license plate 37C-441.xx driven by NVH (born in 1994, residing in the former Quynh Luu district) and discovered nearly 480,000 products without invoices proving their origin. The seized items included over 400,000 packages of counterfeit shampoo of famous brands, 6,000 packages of counterfeit Comfort fabric softener, nearly 1,300 tubes of toothpaste, and 63,000 pens. The total estimated value of the seized goods was approximately 523 million VND.
Following an expanded investigation, authorities identified PTS (born in 1962, residing in Hanoi) as the mastermind, specializing in collecting counterfeit goods from sources in the North and distributing them to dealers in Central Vietnam, especially in remote areas. Immediately afterward, the police initiated criminal proceedings and indicted four individuals for the crime of "Trading in counterfeit goods".
Mr. Nguyen Van Huong, Head of the Nghe An Market Management Department, stated: In reality, the most commonly counterfeited and imitated items are mainly food, medicine, functional foods, cosmetics, electronics, and household goods. Notably, the situation of goods without clear origin and without legal invoices and documents remains common, causing revenue losses, creating an unhealthy competitive environment, and threatening consumer safety.
When local authorities get involved
Although the situation regarding smuggling and trade fraud remains complex, in recent times, numerous wards and communes throughout the province have simultaneously joined forces, creating a strong momentum in the fight against smuggling and trade fraud. This shows that when authority and responsibilities are clearly defined, local authorities have become more proactive and attentive to the realities of their areas, promptly detecting and handling violations.
Truong Vinh Ward is a bustling commercial center of the province. With Vinh Market located there, the fight against smuggling and commercial fraud has been implemented in recent times with close coordination among many forces.
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Phong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Truong Vinh Ward, said: After the new government was established, the ward proactively developed a plan to inspect and coordinate with the Market Management Team and the Ward Police to strengthen inspections and strictly handle violations related to the production and trading of goods.
Thanks to this coordination, many violations such as trading in goods of unknown origin and selling counterfeit goods have been detected and dealt with promptly. Besides issuing violation reports and imposing administrative penalties, the forces also combined this with raising awareness among residents and businesses about the harmful effects of smuggling and commercial fraud. This approach ensures both deterrence and contributes to building a transparent and stable business environment in the ward.
In Quynh Luu commune - a newly established administrative unit formed by merging Cau Giat town and the communes of Quynh Hau, Quynh Dien, Quynh Giang, and Binh Son - we have observed a significant improvement in the fight against smuggling and trade fraud.
Mr. Nguyen Minh Thanh, Head of the Economic Department of Quynh Luu commune, said: "Recently, following the directives of the Provincial Steering Committee 389, the People's Committee of the commune has coordinated with the police and market management forces to advise on and issue a plan to inspect, monitor, and handle acts of smuggling and commercial fraud... in the area in 2025."
Mr. Thanh also emphasized that implementing a two-tiered local government system means that localities are closer to production and business establishments, allowing them to grasp the situation more quickly and detect violations promptly.
As a result of a recent inspection, the People's Committee of Quynh Luu commune discovered several cases of selling goods without clear origin or complete invoices and documents. The authorities issued violation notices and fined 8 cases of administrative violations, totaling over 10 million VND. Although the amount is not large, this clearly demonstrates the close attention and decisiveness of the local government in market management.
Mr. Nguyen Van Huong, Head of the Nghe An Market Management Department, added: Previously, the inspection and handling of smuggling and trade fraud were primarily carried out by the Market Management force or the Police, initially through the districts before conducting inspections at the grassroots level. Now, with the new local government system in operation, thanks to its closer proximity to the grassroots, local authorities have become more proactive in inspecting, monitoring, and handling smuggling and trade fraud.
It is evident that, no longer relying on higher authorities, many communes and wards have independently developed plans for regular inspections, coordinating closely with the police, market management, and other functional forces. As a result, many violations have been detected early and handled promptly, while also incorporating public awareness campaigns to improve people's and businesses' compliance with the law. This represents a significant shift, contributing to restoring order in the market and affirming the effectiveness of the innovative model of state management.
