Zhuhai’s Gongbei Customs announced in a statement yesterday that its officers nabbed two Hong Kong drivers smuggling pearls weighing 5,653 grams worth 950,000 yuan (1.07 million patacas) into the mainland via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.
At noon on July 22, Gongbei Customs officers at the delta bridge Zhuhai checkpoint noticed a driver of a double-plate vehicle acting suspiciously who seemed to be deliberately evading a customs inspection in the inbound passenger channel.
The inspection, according to the statement, unearthed 11 bags of pearls weighing 2,847 grams.
On the same day, Customs officers noticed another double-plate vehicle whose driver also seemed to be deliberately evading a customs inspection. An inspection by customs officers found 10 bags of pearls weighing 2,806 grams.
On August 5, a professional appraisal confirmed that both batches of pearls were cultured saltwater pearls, with a combined value exceeding 950,000 yuan.
In the statement, Gongbei Customs reminded the public that according to relevant regulations, evading customs supervision by hiding or bringing goods subject to taxes into the mainland constitutes smuggling. If the circumstances are severe enough to constitute a crime, criminal liability will be pursued.
Gongbei Customs seizes 4,579 fake smartphones
Meanwhile, Zhuhai Gongbei Customs announced in a separate statement yesterday that its officers nabbed a lorry driver attempted to smuggle 4,579 counterfeit smartphones out of the mainland.
On July 24 at night, customs officers at the delta bridge Zhuhai checkpoint’s outbound cargo inspection area, during the X-ray inspection of an outbound cross-border freight vehicle under transit customs procedures, anomalies were detected in the scanning images.
According to the statement, a large quantity of mobile phones packaged in transparent anti-static bubble wrap were seized from the vehicle, totalling 4,579 units. The batch contained three different brands including “OPPO,” which customs officers preliminarily identified as suspected counterfeit products during on-site inspection.
After verification by the respective intellectual property rights holders, the smartphones were confirmed to be unauthorised products bearing forged trademarks, therefore constituting trademark infringement. The rights holders have filed an intellectual property protection request with Gongbei Customs. The goods have now been processed accordingly.
In the statement, Gongbei Customs reminded the public that, according to the “Customs Law of the People’s Republic of China”, importers, exporters, and their agents must accurately declare the intellectual property status of goods to customs and submit relevant certification documents. Goods that infringe intellectual property rights protected by [mainland] Chinese laws and regulations will be confiscated and may incur fines; if a crime has been committed, criminal liability will be pursued.
This undated handout provided by Zhuhai Gongbei Customs shows 21 bags of pearls seized from two cross-border, double-plate vehicles from Hong Kong.
This undated handout photo provided by Zhuhai Gongbei Customs shows 4,579 fake smartphones seized from an outbound cross-border freight vehicle.
