Smugglers used a modified car ＂airplane＂ to transport smuggled cigarettes worth 3.316 billion yuan.
CCTV News:Zhanjiang Customs and Zhanjiang Tobacco Monopoly Bureau took a harmless approach on the 22nd, publicly and intensively destroying about 430,000 smuggled and confiscated cigarettes including Marlboro, Aixi, Nanyang Double Happiness and other brands, with a value of over 600 million yuan.
More than 40 kinds of smuggled and confiscated cigarettes, including Marlboro, Aixi, Nanyang Double Happiness and other domestic and foreign brands, were collectively destroyed, all of which were seized and confiscated by Zhanjiang Customs in recent years in the crackdown on smuggling. Smugglers generally smuggle cigarettes into the country by bypassing the customs, using modified cars to transport them, and smuggling is organized and specialized.
Case handlers of Zhanjiang Customs Anti-smuggling BureauIn order to pack more cigarettes, he will remove the seat and the armrest in the back row and even install some load-bearing spring steel beams in the lower part of the car.
In recent years, Zhanjiang Customs has cracked a series of extraordinarily large cigarette smuggling gang cases, among which 220,000 boxes of cigarettes were involved in the "1.23" extraordinarily large cigarette smuggling case, with a case value of 1.08 billion yuan, and 16 people were transferred for prosecution; The "7.16" extra-large cigarette smuggling case involved 503,700 boxes of smuggled cigarettes, with a case value of 3.316 billion yuan. 96 suspects were arrested and 70 people were transferred for prosecution. This case was the largest cigarette smuggling case seized by the national customs in recent years and was also listed as one of the top ten classic anti-smuggling cases of the national customs in that year.
Chen Zhifeng, Deputy Commissioner of Zhanjiang Customs: "We insist on cracking down on gangs and destroying the network. Since 2017, we have carried out a total of 42 special actions to crack down on cigarette smuggling and seized 117 cases, which has played a role in cracking down on one side and shocking one side. Today, we held a major special event to destroy smuggled cigarettes, highlighting the achievements and strong determination of the customs and law enforcement units to resolutely crack down on smuggled cigarettes. "
It is understood that today’s destruction of smuggled and confiscated cigarettes was carried out in a bio-power plant in Zhanjiang. After burning more than 430 thousand cigarettes to generate electricity, it can generate about 142 thousand kwh of electricity, which can be used by 71 urban families for one year.
Specialized cigarette smuggling gangs have a clear division of labor.
A large part of the confiscated smuggled cigarettes destroyed in Zhanjiang came from the "7.16" smuggling cigarette case that was uncovered a few days ago. Zhanjiang Customs not only destroyed a large cigarette smuggling criminal network, but also destroyed 18 customs clearance, transportation and other related gangs and arrested 96 suspects, involving a total value of 3.316 billion yuan.
In the whole process of smuggling cigarettes, criminal gangs in all links are well organized, with clear division of labor and obvious professional characteristics. They are profitable in the whole smuggling chain, and the gangs have gradually formed a long-term cooperation and risk-sharing interest alliance.
"airplane boy": wantonly smuggling and breaking through the customs
In the investigation, the anti-smuggling personnel of Zhanjiang Customs found that smuggled cigarettes were generally smuggled in from Dongxing and other border areas on the border between Guangxi and Vietnam. These smuggled cigarettes are transported to Guangdong by transport vehicles, which are commonly known as "airplane boys". Many modified vans, off-road vehicles and other vehicles are parked in Zhanjiang Customs’ warehouse dedicated to storing smuggled goods. Anti-smuggling personnel told reporters that these vehicles are commonly known as "airplane children" because they are all equipped with fake license plates when pulling goods.
In order to ship more goods, the suspect also carefully modified the car.
Cao Jianing, Deputy Section Chief, Investigation Division I, Zhanjiang Customs Anti-smuggling Bureau: "Remove it all like this, so that it can fill more smuggled goods. For example, in some corners, it can be disassembled into strips and stuffed inside. Then, in the middle of the front row and the back row, it will hang a crossbar, draw a curtain on it and cover it with a black cloth, so that the window has an explosion-proof film and the front is blocked with black cloth."
Recently, the anti-smuggling department of Zhanjiang Customs cooperated with local functional departments to carry out an anti-smuggling operation in land transit. During the anti-smuggling operation, anti-smuggling personnel found some new trends in transporting smuggled cigarettes. Smugglers make an appointment to contact drivers through the APP network car rental platform, and use the vehicles of logistics companies to transport smuggled cigarettes. Make an appointment for the driver to pull the goods through the APP platform.