A Panama-registered ship was auctioned recently in Ningde City in south China's Fujian Province suspected of smuggling illegal Chinese immigrants to Japan.

According to local police, the ship smuggled 124 people from Liaoning and Fujian provinces to Japan from November 1997 to April 1999. Nine of them were female.

The ship was detained in Guangzhou in August this year with 14 suspects on board. Another three were arrested later in Fujian and Guangdong provinces.

The case is under further investigation according to local sources. (Xinhua)