New campaign opens to intercept solid waste

Effort against 'foreign garbage' said to be most aggressive in years

Customs authorities recently launched what they said was the most aggressive crackdown in recent years against imported solid waste, as hundreds of suspects were detained on smuggling charges.

On Tuesday, customs officers in 17 provinces and regions, including Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Tianjin and Shanghai - which are major centers for the processing of imported recyclables - detained 137 suspects believed to be part of 39 gangs. It was the third operation this year, the General Administration of Customs said.