The Chinese market's love of cigarettes is one that crosses borders (or attempts to, at least). According to The Nanfang, a three-month investigation into a very well-planned cigarette smuggling ring resulted in the arrest of 20 suspects and seisure of 4,000 cartons of cigarettes.
On April 21, the initial four suspects landed in Shanghai Pudong International Airport from Japan. Unlike their fellow passangers, they managed to avoid customs agents and instead moved into the airport parking garage, all with the help of six Chinese airport ground staff. The suspects were then caught with 800 cartons of cigarettes at the airport garage. Police went on to arrest several more suspected members of the smuggling ring later that night.
The ring is considered a highly sophisticated operation because smugglers secured each step of the way; it even included drivers and deliverymen. Ground staff were able to redirect the smuggler's baggage from international baggage claim to domestic, which lowers the scrunity levels. Members of the ring then moved smugglers to the hall for passengers transferring between international and domestic flights, while customs officials were not on duty. The procedure relied greatly on inside help from airport employees.
So how did the police find out about the smuggling ring in the first place? Authorities became suspicious after they noticed that nine passengers flew between Shanghai and Osaka three or four times a week, often returning the same day they left. A look into their records found that four of the suspects already recieved administrative penalties a few months ago for exceeding the price limit for bringing foreign cigarettes into China. Most of the smugglers are under 26 years old, with some still under 21. Ah, to be young again...
The smuggled cigarettes included international big names like Seven Star, Malboro, and Peace. Authorities did not specify the total value of the smuggled cigarettes, but one source estimated it to be approximately RMB800,000 or USD122,000. The smuggling ring sent most of their cigarettes to Liaoning Province in the past, and some believe they were destined for the black market.
The case is still under further investigation.
[Images via Airways News, Quit Smoking Community]
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