China makes arrests in US$770 million refined oil smuggling ring

CHINA has made arrests in a smuggling ring which was engaged in illegally moving one million tonnes of refined oil worth CNY5 billion (US$770 million), with officials seizing 11 ships and detaining 171 suspects, Reuters reports.

The operation, which saw customs officers from the port city of Ningbo join forces with local law enforcement and maritime police, spanned eight Chinese regions, including the coastal provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shandong and Fujian, the General Administration of Customs said in a statement.



A total of 14 gangs were arrested the agency added. It was not immediately clear if the gangs were trying to smuggle the oil in or out of the country.



Such smuggling disrupts the retail fuel market, brings serious safety hazards and causes pollution, it said, adding that smuggled refined oil was of inferior quality and had a sulphur content that greatly exceeded stipulated limits.


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