High-tech methods refine border checkpoint work

Advanced operations

For Gao, one notable change has been the integration of technology to bolster inspection capabilities.

Before 2021, the officers at the checkpoint depended heavily on their experience and skill for conducting inspections, a method familiar to Li Cunlong, 33, who has worked at the checkpoint since 2014.

Li received a second-class merit for uncovering a large heroin stash on a truck in April 2017. During the inspection, he followed his instincts that something was amiss on a shipping list, which included a package labeled as toys destined for an internet cafe.

Back then, advanced technology was not available, so he used a forklift to move the cargo piece by piece. After nearly four or five hours of effort, he located the "toy" package and discovered two wooden sculptures inside.

When he opened it, a strong odor of industrial glue filled the air. Li suspected that the wooden sculptures had been hollowed out, filled with contraband, and then glued back together. An X-ray scan showed the sculptures concealed a significant quantity of heroin.

"Now, with the introduction of new technology, the process has become much more efficient," Li said.

In 2021, the checkpoint rolled out a smart inspection system featuring facial recognition and license plate recognition technologies that was integrated with back-end data systems.

This advancement has reduced vehicle inspection times from a minimum of 1 minute and 30 seconds to just 40 seconds, while greatly improving crime-fighting efforts, according to Lyu Ting, deputy director of the checkpoint.

The construction of the Mukang Big Data Center is also assisting in the detection of offenders trying to avoid checkpoint controls.

"If a person or vehicle shows unusually frequent travel across border areas, big data analytics can identify and flag these patterns for further investigation," said Lyu.

Hu Di, a female police officer, has a crucial role to play in checking statements against collected data.

"When colleagues on duty bring me leads, I assist in verifying if the statements made by individuals align with our system data," said the 29-year-old.

"If someone claims to be a tourist, we can cross-check their itinerary and activities, such as hotel accommodations and places visited, to assess whether they are genuinely here for tourism or possibly scouting purposes."

She said the job is suitable for women as they tend to be more thorough and patient, which enables them to deeply analyze a lead. "Of the three jobs I've held for an extended period at the checkpoint, this one stands out as my favorite. I want to keep going in this direction in the future," she said.