Beijing customs strikes hard at smuggling
( 2002-02-04 11:59 ) (8 )

Beijing Customs has been successful in cracking down on smuggling activities over the past three years.

A leading official from Beijing Customs said that customs officers have dealt with 106 cases of smuggling over the past three years. The money involved totaled 1.059 billion yuan (US$127 million) and 135 criminals were arrested.

The official said that the smuggled items included computers, sedan cars, heavy machinery, auto parts, printing machinery, mobile telecommunications equipment, medical apparatus and pharmaceuticals.

Between January 6 and March 20, 1999, Beijing Customs solved a case involving the smuggling of satellite ground facilities, arrested five criminals and seized more than two million yuan.

Customs officers also uncovered a trans-national case involving the smuggling of ivory products between March and April, 2001. Thirteen criminals were arrested and large quantities of ivory, rhinoceros horns and cheetah hides were confiscated.

Customs officers also found a US-made pistol, 100 nine-mm bullets, and 2.45 million yuan and 185,000 US dollars at the residences of involved criminals.