People smuggling ring busted on Yunnan border

Immigration authorities in Southwest China's Yunnan province recently arrested 323 people involved with people smuggling and related crimes, according to the National Immigration Administration.

The gang's ringleader, a Chinese national surnamed Li, was captured overseas and handed over to Chinese authorities in April. He was transferred to Yunnan's Yingjiang county procuratorate for prosecution on Monday.

In September, two suspects attempted to sneak out of the country, failed and later surrendered to immigration police in Yunnan's Dehong Dai and Jingpo autonomous prefecture and confessed.

Based on evidence they offered, investigations revealed that a people smuggler surnamed Luo was transporting people from other regions to a transit point in Dehong. His associates would then arrange for a vehicle to transport them to the border.

Next, Li would arrange for foreign personnel to pick them up and take them across the border.

Police said that on Feb 27, Luo directed a van bound for the border area carrying four people who were trying to be smuggled out of the country.

While their foreign guides were preparing to board the van, police quickly arrested all the suspects, as well as those wanting to be smuggled out of the country, and impounded the three vehicles involved.

Later, the Yunnan General Station of Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection, in cooperation with overseas law enforcement, captured Li on April 16. He was handed over to China on April 30.

Investigators have captured 85 suspects involved in people smuggling and 172 people who left the country illegally and returned, and seized 47 vehicles involved in the crimes.

Furthermore, authorities resolved about 30 other cases related to smuggling, gambling and telecom fraud and arrested 66 suspects based on evidence gathered from those cases. They also seized funds exceeding 10 million yuan ($1.5 million).

"We urge suspects who are on the run to surrender as soon as possible and accept a lenient punishment," said Lu Bingjiang, head of the investigation division at the NIA's department of frontier inspection and management.