Suspected smuggler repatriated from Peru

A man suspected of involvement in smuggling and tax evasion was brought back to China on Sunday after being at large in Peru for 18 years. He is the first criminal suspect that China has successfully repatriated from Latin America.

The man, identified only by his surname, Huang, is suspected of playing a role in smuggling 107,000 metric tons of crude soybean oil nearly two decades ago, according to a report in Legal Daily.

Authorities say Huang and other suspects smuggled the oil and sold it through several companies in Wuhan, Hubei province; Shenzhen, Guangdong province; and Shanghai between 1996 and 1998. More than 700 million yuan ($105 million) in taxes were evaded, the report said.