At least 14 Hongkongers have been arrested by Shenzhen and Xian customs authorities along with 36 mainland suspects in a bust of six computer-smuggling gangs.
Police also seized laptop computers and other electronic appliances valued at 300 million yuan (HK$344 million).
Shenzhen customs said yesterday that they had seized 355 laptops and other electronic appliances as well as five cars and 2 million yuan in cash from the gangs, which had Hong Kong ringleaders and accomplices.
The arrests, which were made last week, followed an operation in the border city and Xian in which 300 police officers raided locations in Futian and elsewhere between Tuesday and Wednesday.
Police had earlier found that a large number of black-market IBM laptops and Apple iPads were being sold online.
They said a Hong Kong woman, believed to be the ringleader of one of the gangs that employed dozens of smugglers, had regularly sold untaxed laptops and electronic appliances to online shop owners.
