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 | Wednesday, May 03, 2000, updated at 12:12(GMT+8) | ||||||||||||
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Guangdong Intensifies War against ContrabandWith smuggling still a problem in Guangdong Province, customs officials in this South China province of Guangdong have pledged to redouble efforts to get the situation under control.The customs offices tracked down more than 2,000 smuggling cases in the first quarter of this year, with their case value topping 500 million yuan (US$60.24 million). "The number and value of the smuggling cases at least speak for two facts: the prevalence of smuggling in the province on one hand, and the results of our efforts to crack down on smuggling crimes on the other," said Liang Shuhua, an official with the Guangdong Customs Administration (GDCA). "Our efforts have, in a sense, paid off," said another official, Wu Sihai. "But the sly smugglers require greater alertness to outwit them." They said that customs officials in the province will keep closer eyes on the mouth and the neighbouring waters of the Pearl River, the waters of Huiyang, Huidong, and those east of Guangdong. Bordering on Hong Kong and Macao, those waters have long been the "golden water channel" for smugglers. Official statistics indicate that smuggling cases by water numbered 700 in the January-March period, making up 35.8 per cent of the total. Their case value was worth more than 100 million yuan (US$12.05 million), accounting for 28.4 per cent of the total. The customs offices will also tighten customs supervision over cargo transport, they said. GDCA based its strategy on the fact that smuggling by means of cargo transport saw an increase in the three months. Such smuggling cases numbered 80 with their case value reaching 240 million yuan (US$29 million), accounting for 3.8 per cent and 49 per cent of the total, respectively. Officials said that they will pay particular attention to fake documents and the declaration of imported goods. They also will rely more on the latest technology and facilities to verify documents for imported goods. Customs authorities across the province discovered 30 smuggling cases involving false documents with the value surpassing 100 million yuan (US$12.05 million). Automobiles and related components, refined oil, computer peripherals, telecommunications facilities, compact discs and video compact discs remained the popular goods to smuggle into the province, they said. Foreign currency remained dominant to be smuggled out of the province. Customs officials tracked down a total of 838 cases involving foreign currency smuggling, bank cheque and valuable document smuggling in the three months. Foreign currencies confiscated were valued at 48.70 million yuan (US$5.87 million); bank cheques, as well as valuable documents were worth 4.40 million yuan (US$530,120).
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