Sting operation snares Chinese customs officials 'taking bribes to smuggle goods into Hong Kong'

A team of seven customs officials at the Sha Tau Kok border crossing between Hong Kong and Shenzhen have been charged with accepting bribes after being caught in a sting operation, the Chinese newspaper New Express reports.

The officials allegedly worked as a group to help people avoid paying duty, with some receiving bribes of more than 40,000 yuan (about HK$50,000) every month in return for turning a blind eye to smugglers taking goods across the border in cars and minivans.

Authorities carried out the sting operation at the inspection office in January and detained the customs officials while a group of smugglers were allegedly in the middle of paying bribes to staff.

The raid led to four people being prosecuted for paying bribes totalling 380,000 yuan the report said.

Zheng Xiaowu, head of one of Sha Tau Kok’s customs inspection offices, allegedly arranged for his whole team to share in the bribes paid by people smuggling goods through the border crossing since May last year, New Express reported.

The deputy head of Zheng’s office told prosecutors that he had earned 30,000 yuan a month from bribes before Zheng set up the team, and about 42,900 yuan a month afterwards, the newspaper reported

A general clerk told the prosecutors he earned 5,000 yuan to 6,000 yuan a month before from bribes, and up to 30,000 yuan a month afterwards.