In 2015, with the help of local authorities, China Customs has made following efforts to curb smuggling growth in key areas and items and to maintain economic security, social security and ecological security: further reform and innovation in counter-smuggling operations; further practical control to maintain tough anti-smuggling stance; improvement in comprehensive governance mechanism with “Five Campaigns” targeting agricultural products, key taxable goods, drugs and guns, endangered animals and plants, as well as wastes from overseas. In all the year, the Customs investigated a total of 2241 smuggling cases worth CNY49.32 billion. Therein, 1242 cases involved tax, worth CNY42.24 billion, including 186 especially serious cases involving more than 10 million yuan of tax; through severe strike on contraband, 354 drug-smuggling cases were investigated and 8.4 tons of drugs were seized; besides, several smuggling cases of endangered species and overseas wastes were handled and cracked.
Ten typical smuggling cases are as below:
1.“7.16” series of cigarette smuggling case cracked by Zhanjiang and Nanning Customs
In November 2015, under coordination by the Anti-Smuggling Bureau of Guangdong Sub-Administration, the Anti-smuggling Bureaus of Zhanjiang Customs and Nanning Customs, along with other anti-smuggling bureaus in Guangdong Province, acted together to crack “7.16” especially big case of smuggling 400,000 cigarettes inward, worth CNY2.14 billion. Through investigation, the smugglers bypassed Customs across China-Vietnam border and smuggled in large quantities of high-end China-made cigarettes.
2.“3.25” refined oil smuggling case cracked by multiple Customs and China Coast Guard
In April 2015, under unified command of General Administration of Customs (GAC) and China Coast Guard, Customs Districts of Tianjin, Dalian, Shanghai, Ningbo, Xiamen, Qingdao and Shenzhen and Coast Guards (preparatory team) of Tianjin, Liaoning, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Fujian, Shandong, and Guangdong jointly investigated the “3.25” smuggling of refined oil products, capturing 216 suspects, seizing 2240 tons of refined oil and verifying 110,000 tons suspected of smuggling, totally worth CNY1.613 billion. Through investigation, a Hong Kong company set up many subsidiaries in MainlandChinaand made them purchase, sell fuel oil from international ships in the guise of receiving oily water to evade customs control.
3.“10.28” series of gang smuggling of milk powder/food, cracked by Gongbei Customs
In November 2015, the Anti-Smuggling Bureau of Gongbei Customs investigated “10.28” series of milk powder/food smuggling cases, worth CNY520 million. Through investigation, the smuggling gang purchased food like milk powder, biscuits and drinks from Hong Kong and Macao SARs and organized individuals (“shuike”) to smuggle the food inward by secretly taking with them through Shenzhen and Gongbei ports.
4.“Zhengyi14”luxury goods smuggling case cracked by Shenzhen and Dalian Customs
In October 2015, under coordination by GAC, Shenzhen and Dalian Customs Districts jointly took an action codenamed “Zhengyi14”to crack smuggling of luxury goods and destroyed a “shuike” smuggling network with 8 criminal gangs, involving CNY360 million worth. Through investigation, the network purchased branded luxury goods at abroad and sent them to Hong Kong by international express, and then smuggled into the mainland by “shuike” gang via Shenzhen port.
5.“2.26” series of anthracite smuggling case cracked by Haikou Customs
In September 2015, under unified command by GACC, the Anti-Smuggling Bureau of Guangdong Sub-Administration coordinated anti-smuggling departments of Haikou, Nanning, Zhanjiang, Gongbei, and Hangzhou, along with Guangxi and Hainan public security organs, in cracking down on “2.26” case across multiple provinces and broke 4 criminal gangs, capturing 20 suspects. Through investigation, the gangs smuggled inward 1,636,000 tons of anthracitic coal from Vietnam, worth CNY983 million, by means of “tax farming” at abnormally lower charge, false declaration, stealthy entry, etc.
6.“GN1511”rice smuggling case cracked by Nanning Customs
In July 2015, under unified command by GAC, the Anti-Smuggling Bureau of Nanning Customs District, by working with local public security organ, cracked rice smuggling by the gang headed by Tan, seizing 11 suspects and 600 tons of smuggled rice. Through investigation, from September 2014 till the seizure date, the gang had smuggled inward totally 16,000 tons, CNY68.47 million worth of rice across China-Vietnam border.
7.“4.27” frozen meat smuggling cracked by Guangzhou Customs
In June 2015, Guangzhou Customs cracked “4.27” frozen meat smuggling case, seizing 49 suspects and 57,000 tons of smuggled frozen meat worth CNY1.287 billion. The smugglers brought in frozen beef and by-products across China-Vietnam border by bypassing Customs.
8.“Zhengyi02”drug smuggling cracking campaign by Shenzhen Customs
In January 2015, Shenzhen Customs District, by cooperating with Hong Kong Customs, Australian Federal Police and New Zealand Customs, launched “Zhengyi02”drug-smuggling cracking campaign and destroyed an especially big drug-smuggling gang, seizing106kgice drug and 7 suspects. Through investigation, the gang made use of glass pebbles to hide drug and smuggled them out by sea.
9.Charcoal smuggling cracked by Ningbo Customs
In April 2015, Ningbo Customs Anti-Smuggling Bureau launched “Chain Cutting Campaign” to fight against charcoal smuggling. In this case, the Customs broke 3 smuggling gangs headed by Jiang, seizing 13,220 tons of smuggled charcoal and 28 suspects.
10.Endangered plant smuggling cracked by Nanjing Customs
In May 2015, Nanjing Customs District worked with German Customs to investigate an especially big case of smuggling endangered plants, and finally seized all 8 suspects and 457 ariocarpus fissuratus (a kind of endangered plants), with 1500 such plants verified in the smuggling.