According to Vietnam Customs, intensified inspections were simultaneously implemented across border gates and ports, with high-risk transit and import shipments placed under strict scrutiny to detect potential violations.

At Huu Nghi Border Gate under Regional Customs Sub-Department VI in northern Lang Son province, customs officers uncovered more than 10,500 cosmetic products suspected of violating intellectual property rights.

The seized goods included skincare serums, facial cleansers, foundation creams and other beauty products bearing foreign labels like Jula’s Herb Carrot Aging, Eucerin and L’Oreal, along with thousands of faux leather crossbody bags branded with international trademarks.

At the same time, customs officers also detected 4,350 fashion items showing signs of trademark infringement, including belts, footwear and handbags bearing labels resembling Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Nike and Charles & Keith.

The shipments are currently undergoing verification and expert examination to determine the extent of the violations before further legal action is taken.

Earlier, at Sai Gon Port Customs Sub-Department Area I in Ho Chi Minh City, customs officers discovered a shipment of dried dates suspected of infringing the protected “Dates Sanwan” trademark registered in Vietnam.

The shipment was valued at nearly VND2.3 billion (about US$90,000). The market watchdog imposed an administrative fine of VND490 million, suspended the business operation for two months and ordered the destruction of the infringing goods.

According to Vietnam Customs, a total of 23 intellectual property violation cases were handled in the first four months of 2026.

The counterfeit and infringing goods ranged from cosmetics and luxury fashion items linked to brands like Dior, Louis Vuitton and Adidas to electronic devices, food products and industrial components.

Customs officers said violators often falsely declare the nature of goods or exploit transit and commercial import procedures to move counterfeit products into the domestic market.

Some cases showing signs of serious criminal conduct have been recommended for criminal investigation.

The Prime Minister-established National Steering Committee 389 on anti-smuggling and trade fraud warned that smuggling and counterfeit activities are becoming increasingly sophisticated, particularly in high-value consumer sectors including cosmetics, fashion and electronics.

From an international perspective, recommendations by the World Customs Organisation emphasise border control as a critical frontline in enforcing intellectual property rights, while also calling for closer coordination among customs officers, businesses and trademark owners.

Vietnamese customs authorities said they would continue tightening inspections at major border checkpoints and strengthen cooperation with relevant agencies and intellectual property rights holders to prevent counterfeit goods from entering the domestic market.

Amid intensified efforts to combat smuggling, counterfeit goods and intellectual property violations, the current nationwide crackdown is being carried out under Official Dispatch No. 38/CĐ-TTg issued by the Prime Minister on May 5, 2026.

The directive requires ministries, agencies and localities, including customs forces, to strengthen inspections and supervision at border gates throughout May in order to promptly detect and strictly handle smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit production and illegal trading activities, particularly those involving products that directly affect consumer health or carry high brand value.

The coordinated implementation of measures under the dispatch is considered a key step toward improving state management efficiency as violations become increasingly sophisticated and increasingly involve cross-border elements.

Police bust online ring selling fake traditional medicines

VOV.VN - Police in Vietnam’s Hung Yen province have dismantled a ring producing and selling fake traditional medicines on social media, using staged videos and false claims to defraud customers, authorities said on April 14.