Four sailors from Taiwan were sentenced for imprisonment ranging from six to 12 years for smuggling cigarettes.
Cao Mutu, Su Jinrong, Li Jinyuan, and Huang Zhirong were also fined with 12.79 million yuan (1.54 million U.S. dollars) by the Wenzhou Intermediate People's Court of east China's Zhejiang Province on October 26.
Cao admitted that he sailed to Busan City of the Republic of Korea from Jilong Port of Taiwan in mid-May this year. Cao, Su, Li and Huang were found on a fishing boat loaded with cigarettes on the sea over which Wenzhou City has jurisdiction on May 29. Customs officers seized 84,544 cartons of cigarettes of brand "555" on the boat.
It is estimated that the cigarettes should be levied with a taxation of over 12.78 million yuan.