At the end of May, according to Lao Dong in Lao Cai city, this place is no longer as bustling and bustling with business as before. Instead, there is a deserted scene due to a series of shops and kiosks in the markets suddenly closing.
Actual records at times from 8am to 11am and from 2pm to 5pm along Hoang Lien Street show that, besides some still operating stores, many businesses have been quietly closed.
In addition, on some streets such as Nguyen Hue, Ly Cong Uan, Nhac Son..., many businesses here have also stopped operating.
According to observations, most of the stores closed were related to the business of clothing, shoes, a few cosmetics, sports equipment, etc.
In large markets that are bustling and crowded with buyers and sellers such as Coc Leu market and Lao Cai tourist market, there are also many traders setting up kiosks.
Sharing with reporters, Mr. Thang - a trader at Coc Leu market said: "This time the authorities are too tense, so many stores have closed to avoid inspection. The same goes for this market, there were many goods for sale before, but now they are taking them away and temporarily stopping selling them all".
When asked why traders are afraid to check, Mr. Thang laughed and replied: "Every head has an ear, don't let the elephants get ugly! ".
Mr. Nguyen Van Trung (residing in Lao Cai city) said: "I often go to work on Hoang Lien route here, so I pay attention. It is true that these days, dozens of shops along the road have closed. Maybe it is an opportunity to prevent smuggled, counterfeit, and counterfeit goods, so they are afraid that the authorities will come to inspect them."
Mr. Hoang Van Hoan (Lao Cai city) said that functional agencies need to tighten import inspection through border gates, not allowing items of unknown origin to affect people's health.
"The fact that a series of stores and businesses have been closed recently is understandable. They are doing business but they are not sure if they can do all the right things, so they pay to avoid inspection and examination, said Mr. Hoang Van Hoan.
A representative of Market Management Team No. 1 - the unit managing the Lao Cai city area informed that the unit is strengthening management work, coordinating with functional forces to inspect and control the market, in order to promptly detect, prevent and strictly handle violations, especially for the business of counterfeit goods, goods of unknown origin.
Since the beginning of May, the authorities have inspected and discovered 30 violations, paying the budget 234 million VND. The main violations are trading in goods of unknown origin, counterfeiting labels, air travel with price lists...
According to statistics from functional agencies of Lao Cai province, in May 2025, units in the province discovered, arrested, and handled 120 cases of smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods, an increase of 83 cases compared to the previous month.
Of which, 9 cases of illegal trading and transportation of banned and smuggled goods; 105 cases of trade fraud, tax fraud; 6 cases of counterfeit and counterfeit goods, and intellectual property violations.
The total value of the handling is more than 1.281 billion VND, of which the amount of administrative fines, tax collection, and sale of confiscated goods is more than 1 billion VND; the value of the destroyed goods is more than 281 million VND.
