Smuggled Planes AuctionedTwo smuggled passenger airplanes, which were seized by customs and failed to find a new owner at an auction last month, was sold Tuesday afternoon in an auction in this capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province.The two Russian-made Tu-154M were smuggled in by Du Dinghuan, former general manager of Sichuan Airlines. Only three enterprises attended the first auction on November 28, but no one bid for their comparatively expensive opening prices of 1.2 million yuan (nearly US$145,000) and 400, 000 yuan (over US$48,000) respectively. Some 30 enterprises and individual buyers expressed their interest on the airplanes after the first auction failed, and 15 enterprises finally attended today's auction. The first plane was purchased by a Beijing furniture firm for 1 million yuan (over 120,000 U.S. dollars) in just five minutes after the auction started. China United Airlines (CUA) got the second one at the price of 1.5 million yuan (over US$180,000) within one minute. Delegates with the furniture firm said they will open coffee shops or entertainment facilities in the plane. |
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