Wanted: Female ringleader in luxury car smuggling.
A smuggling ringleader and his accomplices imported 18 luxury cars and fled when one of their accomplices was apprehended.
On January 28, the Ho Chi Minh City Police Investigation Agency announced that it had completed its investigation and recommended the prosecution of Tran Van Bang (born in 1987), Bui Le Viet Khoi (born in 1983), and 14 other accomplices for the crime of "smuggling".
From early 2012 to June 2013, Helena Pham (a Vietnamese-American, currently wanted by the police), Bang, Khoi, and their accomplices exploited the policy of importing used cars under the movable property regime for Vietnamese expatriates to create fraudulent car import documents.
Taking advantage of the policy, Helena Pham smuggled in many luxury cars.
Helena Pham and her accomplices smuggled 18 cars under the guise of returning overseas Vietnamese.
Verification and document collection at the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department revealed that 18 import files from overseas Vietnamese importing valuable vehicles such as Land Rover, Lexus, Audi, BMW, Toyota, etc., did not comply with regulations, with a total value of nearly 17 billion VND.
According to the conclusion, the total amount of taxes already paid was 9.8 billion VND, and the total amount of taxes that would have been payable to the State if certain other taxes had not been exempted would have been 36 billion VND.
This case involved the assistance of several police officers, customs officials, and the head of a notary office. Currently, Helena Pham is wanted; she will be prosecuted once apprehended.