Customs to boost efforts to foil smuggling

Over the first 10 months of this year, customs probed 444 cases related to the smuggling of endangered species and products, with the amount totaling 1,237 metric tons, Sun said. It also dealt with 317 solid waste smuggling cases over the same period, involving 696,900 tons of waste, he added.

China customs will further strengthen risk management and intensify inspections to combat smuggling activities, Sun said. It will also work more closely with law enforcement departments of other countries, especially places of source and transit, as well as international organizations and NGOs, to crack the entire smuggling chain, he said.

China has played an important role in Operation Thunderball & Demeter V. In the international operation for endangered species, held from June 4 to 30, participants from 109 countries cracked a total of 1,828 cases. China customs contributed to 73 of those cases, which involved a total 1.64 tons of endangered species and their products.

Later, during the solid waste international operation from Sept 2 to 30, a total of 232 cases were cracked, of which 85 cases involved China customs, which seized roughly 1,500 tons of waste.

"Through the operations, China customs has shown its commitment to protecting the environment," said Kunio Mikuriya, secretary-general of the World Customs Organization.

"China customs has been successful in promoting international cooperation on addressing global risks and concerns," he said, adding that the country can also mobilize its technology to protect the environment.