Smuggling crackdown off to a good start in first half of year

The General Administration of Customs' anti-smuggling department investigated about 800 smuggling cases nationwide from the end of June to the end of July, effectively maintaining national economic security, taxation order and social stability, the Ministry of Public Security said.

Among the cases, about 320 were tax-related. The total value of the goods involved was 4.17 billion yuan ($604.5 million), and some 640 million yuan in taxes were thought to have been dodged.

The ministry also issued statistics from crackdowns on the smuggling of food, drugs and refined oil products that took place in the first half of this year.

From January to June, authorities investigated 264 food smuggling cases, with goods valued at 6.9 billion yuan. Suspects failed to pay duty worth a total of 660 million yuan.

During that period, they also investigated 260 drug smuggling cases, seizing about 553 kilograms of cocaine, methamphetamine and other drugs, as well as 68 oil product smuggling cases. The oil products had a value of 1.27 billion yuan, and approximately 526 million yuan in duty was suspected of being evaded.

An official with Customs' Anti-Smuggling Bureau said it would further cooperate with police departments to better investigate smuggling and related crimes and safeguard national security and the interests of the public.