23 arrested in crackdown on milk-powder smuggling ring run from China and US
Customs authorities in Fuzhou say sophisticated operation was run by “highly educated intellectuals”
Fujian authorities have cracked down on a sophisticated smuggling ring controlled from the US and China, involving 150 million yuan (US$22 million) worth of baby formula and health supplements, according to China News Service.
In January, customs authorities in Shenzhen, Xiamen, Fuzhou and Ningde coordinated a crackdown targeting international logistics company DCS Global Import and Export. They arrested 23 suspects, according to the report.
A search into the company’s warehouses in Shenzhen, Xiamen and Fuzhou found more than 3,000 boxes of baby formula and health supplements and seized more than 660,000 yuan in cash.
“The smugglers hired people to carry the products across the border but they integrated high-tech elements, making the operations of the entire smuggling chain more efficient and minimising losses,” said a Fuzhou customs official.
“Their work [was] hidden, sophisticated, smart and diversified,” the official added.