The division is in charge of the area that hosts the city’s largest cigarette trading spot – the eponymous market on Hoc Lac Street– where both certified and illegal cigarettes are frequently transacted.

Head of the market watchdog division 5B, Ngo Van Tung, said smugglers have resorted to violence to resist authorities who confiscate their cigarettes.

In a raid in April, four officers were purposefully run over by a minibus carrying smuggled goods in District 5 as it was attempting to escape.

All the officers were luckily unharmed and they managed to stop the vehicle and seize nearly 3,600 packs of cigarettes with cooperation from the traffic police.

In another case, nearly 20 anti-smuggling officials were attacked after they confiscated around 4,500 packs of cigarettes in a bust on Hoc Lac Street in May.

Smugglers have employed a variety of tricks to contravene raids such as hiring lookouts and locking up properties prior to the arrival of anti-smuggling forces.

According to Vietnamese law, the members of the market watchdog that is in charge of inspecting trading activities are not authorized to break in and seize goods inside houses.

In an attempted house raid on Hoc Lac Street in June, market watchdog officers had to leave the scene after eight hours of waiting outside a residence that was locked before their arrival.

A market watchdog official said the force needs an official decision by the district People’s Committee before they can conduct store inspections, which affords smugglers time to hide their stocks.

Reported by Dam Huy