Tracing a shipment of suspected counterfeit cigarettes en route to China, via Vietnam
Two and a half days of intense activity following a call from our client one Thursday, led to the detention of a ship in Gia Van – an island close to China .
Thursday afternoon
We received a call from our client – a tobacco company – asking for assistance in dealing with Vietnamese enforcement authorities to trace a shipment of suspected counterfeit cigarettes.
The shipment originated in the Philippines , where it was declared to contain pumice stone and plastic cabinets. It was heading for Haiphong Port in North Vietnam (transhipped through Kaoshiung , Taiwan ).
We made immediate contact with the National Economic Police.
Thursday night
One of our professionals took the last flight from Ho Chi Minh City (where he had been attending a WCO training workshop for Vietnamese Customs) to Hanoi on Thursday night in order to collect copies of the client's relevant trade mark registrations from the National Office of Intellectual Property.
Friday
A technical expert of the client accompanied our professional to Hai Phong (>100 km from Hanoi ) to work with National Economic Police who were already there. The Economic Police had, however, failed to check the shipment when it arrived due to the lack of cooperation from Hai Phong Customs and the delay in any guidance being given by National Customs.
Saturday
The goods were transhipped and left Haiphong Port heading for Quang Ninh (Mong Cai – Vietnam-China border area). The shipment was followed closely by the Economic Police.
We picked up two National Customs officials from Hanoi and headed for Quang Ninh. Specific instruction was given by National Customs to the Customs unit in Mong Cai.
The shipment was stopped by the Economic Police and the Customs unit in Gia Van – an island near China – as it headed for China . We were successful in convincing the Economic Police and Customs to stop the shipment and allow the client's technical expert to inspect the goods without depositing a bond (the Economic Police and Customs had initially requested a bond in accordance with the Customs Law).
The shipment was found to contain 6286 cases of cigarettes (6 x 40 foot containers full) which, on inspection, were shown to be genuine, not counterfeit, goods.
Detailed information about the shipment has been obtained and provided to the client's team in China for monitoring and further action.
