Customs officer 'received more than 800 million VND' to protect smuggled gasoline
Ngo Van Thuy was accused of receiving more than VND800 million while working as an officer of the Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department, General Department of Customs, to turn a blind eye to a smuggling ring of 200 million liters of gasoline.
The behavior of Mr. Thuy (58 years old) was mentioned by Dong Nai Police in the recently completed investigation conclusion, proposing prosecution for the crime.Take bribesAccording to Clause 3, Article 354 of the Penal Code, the penalty is 15-20 years in prison.
The accusations were made one year after Dong Nai Provincial Police carried out Project 920G to destroy a smuggling ring that counterfeited 200 million liters of gasoline.
As the leader of the case, Phan Thanh Huu(65 years old, Director of Phan Le Hoang Anh Trading Company Limited); Nguyen Huu Tu (65 years old, from Vinh Long); Dao Ngoc Vien (54 years old, Director of Dai Duong Hai Phong Company Limited) and 70 accomplices were proposed to be prosecuted for the crime ofSmuggleaccording to Clause 4, Article 188 of the Penal Code,Penalty range 12-20 years in prison.
Huu and Tu are well-known tycoons in the petroleum industry for many years. According to the investigation, since 2019, Huu and Tu have colluded with many directors of companies that contributed capital to hire large-tonnage ships from Vien to smuggle gasoline from Singapore. When the gasoline arrived in Vietnam's waters, Huu dispatched the Nhat Minh 07-09 ships to transport it to the Hau River area, Vinh Long, to be transported to the provinces for consumption.
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| Ships Nhat Minh 07 and Nhat Minh 09 were arrested early last year. Photo: Thai Ha |
In early 2021, while serving as the Head of the Southern Anti-Smuggling Control Team - Team 3 (in charge of the area from Binh Thuan and below), Ngo Van Thuy received information that the Nhat Minh ship was transporting smuggled gasoline to My Hoa commune, Binh Minh town (Vinh Long), so he deployed all forces and dozens of officers to Can Tho city to arrest them.
Knowing that the Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department, General Department of Customs would arrest the Nhat Minh ships, Tu informed Huu. Under the order of the tycoon, Tu asked a customs officer from Team 3 to introduce him to Thuy to bribe him. On January 25, 2021, knowing that Thuy was with his group going to Can Tho to arrest the Nhat Minh ships, Tu called to ask for a meeting and was agreed.
Tu and his junior Tran Ngoc Thanh brought an envelope of 10,000 USD to meet Thuy at Bien Dong restaurant (Can Tho city). Tu told Thuy to "create conditions for Huu's Nhat Minh ships to transport gasoline to My Hoa to sell to you". Thuy replied "I don't promise" then went with Tu and Thanh to Lua Nep restaurant to have lunch with the working group.
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| Police block a ship carrying smuggled gasoline on the Hau River. Photo: Thai Ha |
Three days later, Tu and Thanh put another ATM card in the account with 100 million VND in an envelope of 10,000 USD and went to Thuy's house in Ho Chi Minh City to continue to discuss not taking the Nhat Minh ship. Thuy still said "I didn't promise" and invited both of them upstairs to eat. Before going upstairs to eat, Tu put the envelope of money in the drawer of Thuy's living room. When he returned, this tycoon told the customs officer that the ATM card password was the last 4 digits of his phone number.
The next morning, Tu continued to meet Thuy for breakfast, but still did not get his consent to "letting go" of the Nhat Minh ship, so he informed Huu. This "boss" of gasoline smuggling asked to meet Thuy at his private home and was agreed.
Arriving home, Huu took a stack of 500 million VND from the trunk of the car and put it on the living room chair, telling Thuy, "I have a little gift for you when you go to the North." Thuy told Huu, "Let me do it until Tet, we can meet after Tet." Huu understood that this customs officer had agreed, so he didn't say anything more and asked permission to leave.
The investigation agency determined that after receiving a phone call from a subordinate introducing Tu as wanting to meet, Thuy knew that the arrest had been exposed and ordered the entire team to retreat to Ho Chi Minh City. Thuy is said to have failed to report to the leadership about the implementation of the plan to capture the Nhat Minh ship as well as the withdrawal of troops and proposed a plan to continue monitoring information sources about these ships.
On February 6, 2021, Dong Nai Police coordinated with the Criminal Police Department (C02, Ministry of Public Security) to mobilize more than500 police officers, divided into many groups, suddenly raided a floating dock in the middle of the Hau River and caught many people red-handed mixing and decanting fake gasoline. At the same time, 13 other locations in Dong Nai, Ho Chi Minh City, Long An, Ba Ria - Vung Tau... were also raided by police to inspect and arrest those involved.
By the time of the bust, the ring of Huu, Vien and accomplices had smuggled more than 204 million liters of gasoline, worth nearly 2,900 billion VND, illegally profiting hundreds of billions.
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| Authorities take gasoline samples for testing. Photo: Thai Ha |
Two weeks later, Thuy was arrested. Initially, Thuy admitted to meeting and receiving money from Huu, Tu and Thanh at his home. He had spent all of the 500 million and 10,000 USD. As for the ATM card, Thuy asked his family to check if the password was correct as Tu had provided, but the person did not understand and withdrew 50 million VND and brought it back to Thuy. He then asked his family to deposit the money back into the account.
However, during the investigation, Thuy changed his testimony, denying that he had received money to avoid arresting the Nhat Minh ship as Tu and Huu had stated. The investigation agency confronted him, but Thuy only admitted that the two oil tycoons had come to his house to "offer gifts" but did not "agree" to continue allowing Huu to smuggle gasoline. However, during the search, the police seized Tu's ATM card at Thuy's house.
In addition to Ngo Van Thuy, there are many other officials in the case who are said to have "protected" Huu and his accomplices. Some of them are soldiers in the coast guard and border guards. Dong Nai Provincial Police transferred documents and evidence to the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ministry of National Defense for handling according to their authority.
Huu, Tu and Tran Ngoc Thanh were charged with additional crimes.BriberyBut recently the investigation agency has suspended the investigation of the defendants for this behavior. The reason has not been announced.
In addition, Phan Thanh Huu and his accomplices are also being investigated for the following crimes:Production and trade of counterfeit goodsandPrinting, issuing and illegally buying and selling invoices and documents for payment to the State budgetHowever, the investigation agency has not yet received the results of the request for evidence appraisal (more than 2.5 million liters of gasoline and 9 value-added tax invoices), so the actions of Mr. Huu and those involved are separated in the second phase of the case.
The case is of a particularly serious nature and should be monitored by the Central Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption and directed to be brought to trial soon.