Chinese customs retrieve 360-million-yuan tax by handling smuggling cases

Chinese customs ferreted out 5,820 smuggling cases last year, which involved goods worth 6.41 billion yuan (775 million US dollars), according to the latest statistics from the General Administration of Customs.

The handling of these cases helped retrieve taxes worth 360 million yuan (43.5 million US dollars), according to the statistics.

The customs department's new anti-risk system can analyze the imported and exported goods, based on their check times, results, and the categories of their importers or exporters, according to officials with the administration

China has prosecuted 90,000 smuggling cases involving goods worth 24.2 billion dollars by last October, in a crackdown starting from 1998 to wipe out the activity and beef up state revenues.

Many of the smuggling cases involve automobiles, cigarettes and luxury goods. Under high pressure of the fight against smuggling, illegal trade had been restricted, which has contributed to the country's foreign trade, said a senior official with the administration.