Mini electric cars of unknown origin are circulating in Nghe An.

In Dien Ngoc commune, Dien Chau district, there is a mini electric car without license plates that regularly travels on inter-communal roads. The owner said: "I bought it from someone in Vinh City for 75 million VND, but it doesn't have registration papers. I mainly use this car to take my children to school and drive on inter-village and inter-communal roads."

From the outside, this electric car has a rather attractive appearance. It has four seats, a sunroof, and LED lights. The interior is designed to be minimal, lacking air conditioning and relying only on a fan. To open or close the windows, users have to manually turn the handle.

This vehicle has a 1500W motor and a top speed of 50km/h. A full battery charge allows it to travel 75-100km. The vehicle measures 2.2m long, 1.6m high, and 1.2m wide…

Continuing our observations in Dien Chau and Yen Thanh districts, we also discovered several other mini electric cars without license plates circulating on inter-communal roads in Dien Hanh commune, Dien Chau district; and on National Highway 7A section passing through Dien Xuan and Do Thanh communes, Yen Thanh district.

In Do Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district, there is a mini electric car without license plates, with a symbol on the back indicating it is for people with disabilities. The owner said: The car has no registration papers whatsoever, was purchased for over 50 million VND, and is mainly used for traveling on village and inter-commune roads.

The car's interior is quite simple, with some areas, such as the screen near the steering wheel, displaying Chinese characters.

Mr. Duong Cong Ly, Head of the Nam Can International Border Gate Customs Sub-Department, said: "During the Tet holiday season, our unit coordinated with functional forces to strengthen inspections of prohibited and smuggled goods. However, we have not detected or handled any cases involving these mini electric cars of unknown origin."

Recently, various types of cheap electric cars of unknown origin have been advertised and sold on social media. Online sellers clearly state that these vehicles have no paperwork or invoices, and cannot be registered or inspected. Customers who want to own one only need to place a deposit, and the car will be shipped to their home within 2 to 3 weeks.

Most online car sellers don't have a physical store or showroom; they primarily sell online, delivering cars to customers' doorsteps and collecting payment upon delivery.

Authorities advise people against buying these vehicles because they lack registration papers, cannot be registered, and will be confiscated if driven on public roads. It is also necessary for relevant agencies to control and prevent the smuggling of these vehicles; including cases where businesses circumvent the law to import them for internal use within golf courses and tourist areas before reselling them elsewhere.

A representative from the Traffic Police Department of Nghe An Provincial Police said: "We will conduct inspections, and if we discover any mini electric cars that are not licensed for circulation by the competent authorities, or lack registration and inspection documents, we will educate and instruct the owners not to drive them on the road; if they continue to violate the regulations, we will confiscate these vehicles."

Users of smuggled mini electric cars may also be prosecuted for the crime of harboring or consuming property obtained through another person's crime, according to Article 333 of the 2015 Criminal Procedure Code, as amended and supplemented in 2017, with the following penalties:

1. Anyone who, without prior agreement, harbors or consumes property knowing it to be the proceeds of a crime committed by another person, shall be fined from 10,000,000 VND to 100,000,000 VND, sentenced to non-custodial correctional labor for up to 3 years, or imprisoned from 6 months to 3 years.

2. Committing an offense falling under one of the following circumstances shall be punishable by imprisonment from 3 to 7 years:

a) Organized;

b) It has a professional nature;

c) Assets and illegal items valued from VND 100,000,000 to less than VND 300,000,000;

d) Illegally profiting from VND 20,000,000 to less than VND 100,000,000;

d) Dangerous recidivism.

3. Committing an offense falling under one of the following circumstances shall be punishable by imprisonment from 7 to 10 years:

a) Assets and illegal items valued from VND 300,000,000 to less than VND 1,000,000,000;

b) Illegally profiting from VND 100,000,000 to less than VND 300,000,000.

4. Committing an offense falling under one of the following circumstances shall be punishable by imprisonment from 10 to 15 years:

a) Assets or items obtained through illegal means valued at 1,000,000,000 VND or more;

b) Illegally profiting 300,000,000 VND or more.

5. Offenders may also be fined from VND 5,000,000 to VND 50,000,000 or have part or all of their property confiscated.