BEIJING: On the early morning here the other day mobilizing Guangdong Sub-administration and 11 directly affiliated Customs Districts, China Customs pulled in the “net”which it cast before to crack down on frozen product smuggling in 7 provinces (autonomous regions or municipalities directly under the central government). 6 smuggling gangs and an estimate of more than RMB1 billion of goods were smashed and seized in the operation.
Around 6 a.m. that morning, at the direction of Mr. Yu Guangzhou, Minister of the General Administration of Customs, Guangdong Sub-Customs Administration and 11 directly affiliated Customs Districts (for example, Guangzhou Customs District, Shenzhen Customs District, Huangpu Customs District, Zhanjiang Customs District and Nanning Customs District) mounted an operation in Guangdong, Guangxi, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan and Chongqi, with the support of local public security departments. By 15:00 that day, 101 suspects (including a Chen, the chief offender) and some related documents (including accounting books, computers and some other evidences) were arrested and seized in the operation.
Customs officers found out after investigation that the smuggling gangs mostly smuggled in the frozen products under the mode of normal trade, by false declaring the place of origin of the goods, under invoicing and secret transportation through the places along the China-Vietnam border where there are no Customs presence. Customs officers said the smugglers in the gangs, who had intricate relations, had racked their brains to establish channels and create methods to avoid customs control and have their illegal activities done.
In early 2015, the General Administration of Customs directed Customs officers throughout the country to launch 5 special operations to fight strongly against the smuggling of agricultural products (such as frozen products ), key dutiable items, drugs and guns, hazardous wastes shipped from overseas and endangered species. Through these arduous anti-smuggling efforts, Customs officers try to consolidate the role of smuggling combating as a supportive force to the protection of national security and people’s interests.
