Smuggling money across the border illegally may result in fines of up to 75 million VND, effective from May 2nd, 2026.
Mr. B carried 120 million VND in cash across a border trail without completing customs procedures at an official border crossing. Is this act punishable? What is the specific penalty? This is a question from Ms. Nguyen Thi H. (Kim Bang commune, Nghe An province).
Reply:From May 2nd, 2026, according to Article 15 of Decree 79/2026/ND-CP, the act of illegally transporting goods and currency across the border outside of border gates will be subject to administrative penalties based on the value of the seized items.
Specifically, Mr. B's case of carrying 120 million VND across the border illegally falls under the category of confiscated goods valued at 100 million VND or more. According to Clause 4, Article 15, this act may be punishable by a fine ranging from 40 million VND to 75 million VND.
In addition to monetary fines, violators are also subject to supplementary penalties, including the confiscation of all infringing goods, as stipulated in Clause 5, Article 15. If the confiscated goods have been consumed, disposed of, or are no longer available for confiscation, the offender will be required to return an amount equivalent to the value of the violation, as prescribed in Clause 6, Article 15.
For other cases, the penalties are stipulated according to the value threshold of the seized items, specifically:
Clause 1, Article 15: A fine of 1 to 5 million VND will be imposed if the value is less than 10 million VND;
Clause 2, Article 15: A fine of 5-10 million VND will be imposed if the value is between 10 and less than 50 million VND;
Clause 3, Article 15: A fine of 20-40 million VND will be imposed if the value is between 50 and less than 100 million VND.
Furthermore, if the offender has previously been fined for this offense and commits the offense again (but not to the extent of criminal prosecution), they may still be subject to the highest penalty of 40-75 million VND.
It should also be noted that the above-mentioned fines apply to individuals. In the case of organizations committing the same violation, the fine will be double that of individuals, according to the general provisions of the law on administrative sanctions.