As one of the three measures the General Administration of Customs is about to adopt to reinforce the effort against smuggling nationwide, some of the illegal criminal smuggling companies that have been seized by the Customs recently and have already been given court decisions are laid bare.
According to Deputy Director of the General Administration of Customs Sheng Guangzu at a press conference in Beijing September 5, 2002, these smuggling-involved companies are listed below.
Beijing Daqi Medical Appliances Co. Ltd.
From 1998 to 1999, this company smuggled in for 33 times variety of medical equipment through concealment of the actual value of the goods, devaluation of imported goods and fraudulent declaration of description of goods. Duty evaded amounted to 2.097 million yuan. On June 7, 2000, Beijing Customs Anti-smuggling Criminal Investigation Branch Bureau placed the case on file for investigation.
On March 5, 2002, Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People’s Court made the court decision on the case, punishing Beijing Daqi Medical Appliances Co. Ltd. a fine of 3.924 million yuan. Respondents Luo Daling, Wang Xianqi and Zhou Xiaoqun, convicted of smuggling general goods, were sentenced respectively to five-year, four-year and two-year imprisonment.
Hainan Jingping Trade Co. Ltd.
From May to September 2000, this company entrusted Qilong Trade Co. Ltd. in Haikou bonded zone to declare the importation of long home-reeled raw silk. The actual value of US$6.5 per kilogram of A class long home-reeled raw silk and US$5.7 per kilogram of B class long home-reeled raw silk were declared as US$1 per kilogram. The evaded duty amounted to 928,500 yuan. Haikou Customs Anti-smuggling Criminal Investigation Branch Bureau seized the case on Feb. 15, 2001 and placed it on file for investigation on Feb. 21, 2001.
On Mar. 26, 2002, Haikou Intermediate People’s Court made the court decision on the case, punishing Hainan Jingping Trade Co. Ltd. a fine of 928,500 yuan. Respondent Wuping, convicted of smuggling general goods, was sentenced to three-year imprisonment.
Guangdong Honghua Economic and Technological Co. Ltd.
From January to June 2000, this company declared the importation of 8 horse-power, and US$380 per unit of Hitachi compressors instead of the actual 50 horse-power and US$3080 per unit. Duty evasion amounted to 6 million yuan. Guangzhou Customs Anti-smuggling Criminal Investigation Branch Bureau placed the case on file for investigation on June 24, 2000.
On April 28, 2002, Guangzhou Intermediate People’s Court made the court decision on the case. Respondent Chen Hongyu, convicted of smuggling general goods, was sentenced to five-year imprisonment and was fined 200,000 yuan. The variety types of the 558 smuggled imported compressors seized were confiscated and turned in to the national treasury.
Dongguan Chain Chemical Co. Ltd.
From October 2000 to December 2001, this company imported liquid tranquilizer from Taiwan by fraudulent declaration of description of the goods and devaluated the importation of anti-oxidizing preparation and bubble adjuster. Duty evaded amounted to 417,600 yuan. Huangpu Customs Anti-smuggling Criminal Investigation Branch Bureau placed the case on file for investigation on December 6, 2001.
On July 3, 2002, Guangzhou Intermediate People’s Court made the court decision on the case, fining Dongguan Chain Chemical Co. Ltd. 420,000 yuan. Respondent Su Baozao, convicted of smuggling general goods, was sentenced to eight-month imprisonment. Dongguan Chain Chemical Co. Ltd. was pursued the illegal proceeds of 357,200 yuan and liquid tranquilizer seized was confiscated and turned in to the national treasury.
Shantou Second Light Industrial Free Trade Company
From September 2000 to August 2001, this company smuggled in consecutively for 23 times by devaluation a total of 4,079.592 tons of cold-rolled and hot-rolled stainless steel produced in Taiwan. Duty evaded amounted to 1.2878 million yuan.
On July 8, 2002, Shantou Intermediate People’s Court made the decision on the case, fining Shantou Second Light Industrial Free Trade Company 2 million yuan. Respondent Huang Shaoli, convicted of smuggling general goods, was sentenced to three-year imprisonment. Respondent Lin Ruilin, convicted of smuggling general goods, was sentenced to an imprisonment of one year and six months with a two years’ probation.
(China.org.cn September 5, 2002)
