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The 6th Viet Nam – Cambodia Customs Border Meeting

The 6^th Viet Nam–Cambodia Customs Border Meeting was convened in Da Lat, Viet Nam bringing together enforcement and control units from both countries at the central and local levels to further enhance cooperation in combating smuggling and other customs violations along the shared border.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Vu Quang Toan, Head of the Investigation and Anti-Smuggling Branch under the Department of Viet Nam Customs and Head of the Vietnamese delegation, underscored the tangible outcomes achieved through the five previous meetings. “Over the past meetings, both sides have continuously strengthened information exchange, coordinated border inspections and control, and implemented a range of practical cooperation initiatives, thereby contributing to ensuring security and order in bilateral and regional trade,” Mr. Toan said.

During this year’s Meeting, both sides engaged in detailed discussions on specific cooperative measures and shared best practices in anti-smuggling and the prevention of illegal cross-border trade.

 (Head of delegations of two Customs Administrations signed the Miniutes of meeting)

According to Viet Nam Customs, as of September 15, 2025, the sector had detected, seized, and handled more than 13,000 violation cases, initiated 15 prosecutions, and referred 93 cases to relevant authorities for further legal action. Along the Viet Nam–Cambodia border, 156 cases were detected, with one case prosecuted and nine others referred for prosecution.

Common violations included the misuse of company legal status to falsify declarations or smuggle restricted imports, abuse of transit procedures to conceal unauthorized goods, and the trafficking of counterfeit products, goods infringing intellectual property rights, and falsely declared origins to facilitate smuggling and commercial fraud.

Regarding drug enforcement, as of mid-September 2025, Viet Nam Customs had detected 152 cases involving 194 suspects, seizing nearly 2.3 tonnes of narcotics, mostly synthetic drugs. In the Southwestern border area adjacent to Cambodia, 10 cases involving 20 suspects were uncovered.

At the Meeting, both sides proposed several directions for future cooperation, including strengthening coordination in controlling high-risk goods at border areas; updating and maintaining contact points from central to local levels to ensure rapid, accurate, and effective information exchange; and enhancing communication campaigns to raise awareness among border residents and import-export enterprises about the harms of smuggling, trade fraud, and drug trafficking to the economy, society, and national security.

In his remarks, Mr. Nou Sytha, Director of the Suppression and Anti-Smuggling Department under the General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia, expressed his sincere appreciation for the warm welcome and hospitality extended by the Vietnamese delegation. He reaffirmed his strong confidence in the effectiveness of bilateral cooperation and pledged to continue close coordination with Viet Nam Customs in operational activities and in fostering strategic trust between the two countries.

Concluding the conference, both sides signed the Minutes of the 6^th Vietnam–Cambodia Customs Border Meeting, outlining future joint activities and cooperation mechanisms between their technical focal points. The successful organization of the 6^th Meeting once again affirmed the shared commitment and pioneering role of the Customs authorities of Viet Nam and Cambodia in combating smuggling, safeguarding trade security, and promoting a peaceful, stable, and sustainably developed border region.

            (Group photo of all the delegates attending the meeting)

Vinh Ha – International Cooperation Section