Corrupt, chaotic market management turns Hanoi into hub for smugglers

Ineffective law enforcement has turned Hanoi into a smuggling hub where counterfeit products are produced, consumed and transited. During a conference on the matter held Thursday in the capital, Nguyen Duc Chung, director of the Hanoi Police, said scores of forgers operate in the city, which is also a waypoint for smuggled goods moving south from China and Thai knock-offs moving north from the road through Laos. Hanoi police recently seized 60 tons of traditional medicine and nearly one ton of firecrackers smuggled from China.

Chinese tobacco has been spotted in Hanoi slapped with stickers from the local brand Vinataba. Chung said groups of vendors operating in major markets in the capital (such as Dong Xuan and Ninh Hiep) make direct orders for Chinese counterfeits over the phone. The goods are smuggled via rail or truck with help from fake companies operating along the border.

http://www.thanhniennews.com/society/corrupt-chaotic-market-management-turns-hanoi-into-hub-for-smugglers-29993.html