Immigration authorities crack down on human smuggling networks nationwide

Immigration management authorities around the country have reinforced efforts to bust human smuggling criminal groups and destroy their networks in the first half of the year, Lin Yongsheng, a spokesman for the National Immigration Administration, announced on Friday.

Authorities have dismantled 157 major criminal groups and supervised 88 major cases. Through international law enforcement cooperation, a number of human smugglers and other cross-border criminals were captured abroad, Lin said during a news conference held by NIA.

Also, efforts to address the issues of foreigners illegally entering, residing and working in the country were deepened, leading to the apprehension and deportation of 11,900 individuals. Meanwhile, a total of 11,400 cases of obstructing national border management were investigated, resulting in the arrest of over 22,400 suspects, he added.

Furthermore, authorities rigorously cracked down on crimes related to firearms, explosives, drug trafficking and smuggling at border ports. They have solved 209 drug-related cases, arrested 305 suspects, and seized 4.37 metric tons of various drugs, including 45 cases involving over 10 kilograms. Additionally, 603 firearms and over 27,000 rounds of ammunition were confiscated.