S.Korean director faces prosecution for allegedly smuggling 250 rubber boots, 405,000 ESSE cigarette packs

The accused are Tran Ngoc Thuy Linh, Pham Huu Dung, Nguyen Thi Hoang Mai, Tran Nhu Vu, and Kwon Chang Yeol. 

They have been charged with smuggling under Vietnamese law.

According to the investigation, in July 2022, Kwon, director of KPC International Co. Ltd., sought to export adhesive tape and rubber boots from Vietnam to South Korea.

He hired Linh to source goods in Vietnam and handle the export procedures.

Linh introduced Vu to handle customs clearance for Kwon, charging a flat fee of VND35–40 million ($1,328-1,517) per container.

Vu was responsible for arranging empty containers from shipping lines, packing the goods, hiring trucks to transport the goods to the port, filing electronic customs declarations, and paying related export costs.

To supply the adhesive tape, Linh contacted Nguyen Duc Thien, director of Toan Thanh Dat Production Trading Co. Ltd., to purchase 164,280 rolls of single-sided tape.

For the rubber boots, Linh, following Kwon's request, contacted Le Sy Huynh, director of Dai Phu Labor Protection Device Co. Ltd., to order 480 pairs of rubber boots worth VND26.4 million ($1,003).

Kwon, on behalf of KPC, signed a warehouse rental contract to store the goods.

Dung managed the warehouse and was responsible for receiving and packing goods into containers for export as requested by Kwon.

The adhesive tape and rubber boots were delivered directly to the warehouse by the two supplying companies, and Dung signed for and stored the items.

From September 8 to October 12, 2022, Kwon had Vu use KPC's legal entity to file six customs declarations for exports labeled as adhesive tape and pet mats, destined for South Korea.

In November 2022, KPC's tax code was revoked, preventing further customs declarations. Kwon then asked Linh and Vu to find another company to continue the export process.

On November 24, 2022, Vu used Hoang Mai Co. Ltd., a company registered under his wife, Nguyen Thi Hoang Mai, to declare the export of 12,600 rolls of adhesive tape to Nurion Trade Company in South Korea.

Hoang Mai Company received a payment of $5,895 from Nurion Trade. 

Mai sold the foreign currency at a bank, then transferred VND122.4 million ($4,647) to Toan Thanh Dat Company to pay for the tape and the remaining to Vu to return to Kwon.

On December 1, 2022, Vu continued using Hoang Mai Co. Ltd. to declare another export shipment of 58,800 rolls of adhesive tape, valued at $24,696, destined for Nurion Trade. 

The goods were shipped from Cat Lai Port in Ho Chi Minh City to Incheon Port in South Korea.

However, during an inspection, customs officials discovered undeclared items in the shipment, specifically 250 pairs of rubber boots and 405,000 packs of ESSE-branded cigarettes.