Shanghai foils biggest commemorative coin smuggling attempt

Panda commemorative coins. [Photo/CNS]

A woman surnamed Chen has been caught smuggling 2,116 gold and 216 silver commemorative coins at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

Shanghai Customs announced Wednesday that the woman was caught after her flight landed in Shanghai from Hong Kong.

Chen was arrested for carrying over 16 kilograms of commemorative panda coins. The coins have a face value of 50 yuan ($7.8) and can be sold for 1,000 yuan ($156).

The coins were issued in Hong Kong by the People's Bank of China, and must be cleared by customs before getting into the mainland.

Chen didn't report to customs when she arrived in Shanghai.

This is not Chen's first offense. She owns a commemorative coin store in Hong Kong, and smuggled coins multiple times between 2013 and 2015, buying them in Hong Kong and selling them in the mainland. She once smuggled Year of the Snake coins worth over $700,000.

In China, wearing or carrying gold accessories weighing less than 50 grams is free from customs inspection.