On January 22, Tianjin Customs announced that it has cracked a series of inward smuggling of USA-made Starbucks coffee beverage, in which the smugglers declared abnormal low prices for the cargo. Till now, five of the cases are under criminal investigation, involving a value of CNY25 Million.
By comparing prices among different ports, Tianjin Customs found that several firms based in Beijing and Tianjin were suspected of smuggling Starbucks coffee beverage by means of low-price declaration. Through anti-smuggling investigation, the Customs made clear that most of those firms were food importers, small and middle in size, disordered in trade and financial management, and unstable in human resource.
To get big illegal benefits, the involved firms, concealing true transaction prices, declared fake contracts and invoices provided with lower prices, up to 30% lower than actual value, and they made external payment by means of normal bank remittance, illegal private banking, etc.
At present, the suspects have been criminally detained and the Customs has withheld the involved cargo and illegal gains for further investigation.
Customs officers were counting smuggled cosmetics.