IN response to a report from the Vietnam Pepper Association (VPA) regarding signs of commercial fraud in the export of Vietnamese spices to the UAE, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has taken action, reports Hanoi's Viet Nam News.

They have reached out to the embassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Hanoi, seeking support in addressing the urgent issue of trade fraud affecting Vietnamese spices exported to the UAE.

The VPA reported instances of scams involving the same buyer (Bab A1 Rehab Foodstuff Trading LLC) and the same bank (Ajman Bank JSC) in Dubai.

Some of the VPA members had exported peppercorn, cinnamon, star anise, and cashew nuts to the UAE but encountered problems with these transactions.

Four containers of goods, valued at US$400,000, were lost upon arrival at Jebel Ali Port in the UAE. Additionally, there is a risk of losing another container of star anise that was scheduled to arrive at the port.

To prevent further losses and identify the fraudulent importer, the MARD has requested the UAE Embassy to propose to the UAE authorities to temporarily seize the star anise container at the port and investigate the four stolen batches.

The VPA had previously informed the relevant Vietnamese agencies, including the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the State Bank of Vietnam, about the urgent situation.

They urged these agencies to urgently work with Dubai authorities to block the buyer or buyer's representative who obtained the original documents of the anise container before a specific deadline.

Upon receiving the report, the Ministry of Industry and Trade's Asia - Africa Market Department promptly sent a diplomatic note to the UAE Embassy in Vietnam, requesting the embassy to inform the competent agencies in their country to take necessary actions to address the case.