Vietnamese BMW importer accused of transfering illegal profits abroad

By Bao Binh - Jan 12, 2018 | 07:22 AM GMT+7

TheLEADEREuro Auto Joint Stock Company (Euro Auto), the authorized importer and distributor of BMW, has falsified the records for tax avoidance, constituted behavior associated with the smuggling and transferred all illegal profits abroad, according to General Department of Vietnam Customs (Vietnam Customs).

Vietnamese BMW importer accused of transfering illegal profits abroad
Euro Auto's smuggling case was one of the serious cases.

Speaking at a recent conference, Nguyen Van Can, Director General of Vietnam Customs, said that the smuggling case of Euro Auto was one of the serious cases that Vietnam Customs discovered in the past year.

The customs agency has coordinated with the investigation Police agency to clarify Euro Auto’s entire criminal acts. Remarkably, all its illegal profits were transferred abroad. This means that Vietnamese people do not benefit from Euro Auto smuggling, Can added.

Mai Tien Dung, Minister, Chairman of the Office of the Government, said that Vietnam had imported two batches of BMW cars from Germany, of which one batch consists of 700 cars and remaining one includes 470 cars. However, in fact, these are used cars which have been restored as new ones to trick customers.

According to the Ministry of Finance (MoF), the inspection of the anti-smuggling and anti-trade frauds on importing CBU (completely built unit) cars which were conducted at Euro Auto showed three big infringements by Euro Auto.

Specifically, Euro Auto intentionally consumed imported BMW cars without customs clearance and failed to provide Certificate of Origin. Other relevant documents and certificates of BMW cars imported by Euro Auto showed signs of tricking customers.

In particular, the company uses fake documents such as sales contracts, commercial invoices ... to import BMW cars.

By the end of 2016, the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department (under Vietnam Customs) Customs issued a decision prosecuting the smuggling case of Euro Auto.

In April 2017, the investigation agency prosecuted three accused and arrested two leaders of Euro Auto to serve the investigation. Customs clearance of over 600 imported BMW cars has been suspended.