Vietnam Deputy Prime Minister: Strict Inspection Against Smuggling and Trade Fraud

The Vietnam Deputy Prime Minister demanded that the competent authorities be much stricter and more decisive within the scope of regulating commercial life and combating smuggling. In the first six months of 2026, a total of 67,685 violation cases were detected and concluded by law enforcement forces and local administrations in the country. This figure represents a remarkable increase of approximately 36% compared to the same period of the previous year. Thanks to these operations alone, the fines and revenues collected for the state treasury reached the level of 9,647 billion Vietnam Dong, increasing by 49%. In connection with these criminal enterprises, 1,512 different lawsuits were filed and judicial proceedings were initiated against a total of 2,570 suspects.

Although the data announced by the authority is promising domestically, it is emphasized that the issues of smuggling and commercial fraud in the country still contain deep-rooted problems that need to be solved. The illegal introduction of imported goods into the country, the falsification of certificates of origin, and commercial fraud cases continue to become highly complex. In the local market, the production and trade of poor-quality, counterfeit, and intellectual property rights-infringing products continue very commonly. Especially in recent years, the conduct of such illegal activities on e-commerce platforms on massive scales directly endangers consumers. In addition, it is noted that permanent solutions still cannot be implemented regarding issues such as fake invoice trading, complex networks created for tax evasion, and the exploitation of policy gaps in import processes.

In order to change this negative picture and achieve more permanent successes in the second half of 2026, comprehensive instructions were transmitted from the Deputy Prime Minister to all ministries and local governments. Various law enforcement units such as Police, Customs, Coast Guard, Border Guards, and Market Surveillance are expected to fully implement all decisions of the government and the National Steering Committee. Taking local characteristics into consideration, it is requested that new-type combat programs and practical solutions in line with regional crime trends be urgently developed. The authorities specifically emphasize conducting comprehensive operations against the illegal trade of drugs, gold, foreign exchange, and new-generation e-cigarettes. Furthermore, the detection and prevention of products whose Vietnamese origin is falsified and attempted to be exported to other countries are among the most critical priorities.

Factors that directly threaten the health sector and therefore public welfare are also delicately addressed. It is planned to launch an extremely harsh and unforgiving fight against the production and sale of poor-quality or counterfeit versions of food, medicine, and supplement products. In the instructions of the Deputy Prime Minister, it was explicitly stated that the market presence of all products that violate intellectual property rights must be terminated. Through this, consumer safety in the domestic market will be ensured, and Vietnam's reputation in international trade will be protected. To increase the effectiveness of all these operations, it was ordered that areas of responsibility be clearly defined and inter-agency coordination be perfected.

It is obvious that both the updating of the legal framework and the modernization of technological infrastructures are required for systematic and permanent success. In this context, the relevant ministries were asked to review fundamental legislations such as the Penal Code, Commercial Code, Customs Code, and Intellectual Property Law, and to revise them according to the needs of the digital age. By planning a much more active use of digital transformation and information technologies in detecting smuggling, the processes of tracking criminals and sharing data will be accelerated. In addition, the effectiveness of hotlines where citizens and the business community can submit complaints will be increased, and a special mechanism will be established for reports to be quickly taken into evaluation. Finally, it was emphasized in absolute terms that public personnel involved in the combat process will be subject to continuous training and inspection against negative tendencies such as bribery or corruption, and that absolutely no turning a blind eye to criminal networks will be allowed.