South China police crack down on speedboat, cigarette smuggling

NANNING - Marine police in Fangchenggang, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, said Thursday that they have seized a smuggled speedboat and a batch of cigarettes, worth 225,000 yuan (about $31,956), in waters near the northern Beibu Gulf.

The speedboat is mainly used for smuggling cigarettes and wine. This is the 49th speedboat that police in Fangchenggang have seized this year.

The modified speedboat can be equipped with a 300-horsepower engine and operate at a speed of up to 60 knots, which adds to the difficulty for marine anti-smuggling missions.

So far, Fangchenggang police have busted 768 smuggling cases and seized goods worth 87 million yuan this year, according to the police.