Latest articles

Enhancing enforcement capacity on control of air cargo

In April 2026, the Customs Department, in coordination with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) under the framework of the Passenger and Cargo Control Programme (PCCP/UNODC), organized a training course on threat identification and risk-based targeting for air cargo transported through international airports in Ho Chi Minh City. The activity was funded by the Australian Border Force through PCCP/UNODC, with training delivered by experienced experts from the World Customs Organization (WCO). Participants included customs officers and aviation security officers currently working at major international airports across the country, including Tan Son Nhat, Noi Bai, Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Cam Ranh, and Long Thanh International Airport, which is preparing for commercial operations.

The training course was organized in the context that although air cargo accounts for only 1% of global trade volume, it represents up to 35% of global trade value. Air routes are increasingly being exploited by criminal organizations, with smuggling methods and the illegal trafficking of narcotics, precursors, weapons, prohibited goods, and other contraband becoming more sophisticated, organized, transnational, and technology-driven. On average, customs authorities, in coordination with relevant forces, detect and seize dozens of violations each month involving high-value goods transported via air cargo, express delivery, and postal services. Key commodities involved include narcotics, prohibited goods, and restricted items. Crimes in this sector pose serious threats to legitimate trade activities and social security.

Designed as a five-day programme, the training focused on providing knowledge related to threats along air cargo routes; international standards; risk analysis and risk profiling principles; intelligence information, criminal trends and modus operandi; inspection techniques; and inter-agency coordination. In particular, the programme combined classroom instruction with practical site visits and hands-on exercises involving inspection procedures and document analysis of actual shipments at the cargo warehouses of Tan Son Nhat Cargo Services Joint Stock Company (TCS) and Sai Gon Cargo Service Corporation (SCSC), two of the largest air cargo operators in Ho Chi Minh City.

The integration of theoretical knowledge with practical exercises and teamwork activities enabled participants to absorb and apply the knowledge in a more direct and effective manner.

The valuable experience and extensive resources provided by international agencies and organizations serve as important drivers supporting the Customs Department and domestic law enforcement agencies in strengthening human resource quality, promoting professional exchange and inter-agency cooperation, while also updating crime trends and applying international standards and best practices in the joint effort to combat and suppress crime along this critical route.

Capacity-building activities in the field of air passenger and cargo control are part of the cooperation framework between Vietnam Customs and UNODC. These initiatives originated from the support and efforts of UNODC, WCO, and INTERPOL through the establishment and operation of the Air Cargo Control Unit (ACCU) at Tan Son Nhat International Airport under Customs Sub-Department Region II, officially launched in April 2025. This is the first air cargo control unit in Vietnam and is part of a global network of 87 ACCUs worldwide.

The ACCU aims to bring together highly qualified and experienced officers specializing in risk analysis and targeting of air cargo through the application of professional techniques, support tools, intelligence sources, and coordination mechanisms among customs administrations and law enforcement agencies across the region and worldwide. Its objective is to enhance the capability to detect, intercept, and prevent violations via air routes at an early stage.

Vietnam Customs’ active participation in global initiatives demonstrates its strong sense of responsibility and proactive approach in international cooperation in customs affairs and the fight against transnational crime.

         Vân Anh