Thursday, December 14, 2000, updated at 13:28(GMT+8)
China
China Auctions off Smuggled Swiss Watches
Some 150 of 269 confiscated smuggled famous-brand Swiss watches were auctioned off in Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province.
The total value of the 150 watches reached 210,000 yuan (about US$25,300).
The smuggled watches, including the three Swiss brands of Omega, Radar and Titoni, were confiscated by Jinan Customs, which co-sponsored the auction fair with Shandong Runhua Auction Company.
In order to get the public's attention about the auction, the watches were displayed in several local large department stores before the auction.