Police in a border city neighboring Vietnam in South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region have busted a gang behind a people smuggling operation amid the COVID-19 epidemic, leading to 91 suspects being arrested, and three vehicles and one speedboat seized.
Among the suspects, 10 were the organizers of the illegal operation and 81 were foreign stowaways illegally entering or leaving China, Chinanews.com reported on Tuesday.
Police in Fangchenggang said that the group was connected to a previous case that was solved in December 2019 when seven suspects were arrested.
Following a lead from a suspect surnamed Chen, police arrested 68 foreign nationals illegally entering or leaving China at a toll gate of an expressway on January 4. The arrest, along with the COVID-19 outbreak, deterred the gang from operating.
After the COVID-19 outbreak was curbed in China, the gang resumed operations in April. Police in Guangxi later arrested five suspects.
According to police investigation, the core members of the gang are two Chinese nationals surnamed Liang and Tang. Working with their overseas counterparts, they smuggled foreigners into China and transported them to designated sites using speedboats, motorcycles, minivans and other means of transportation to avoid customs and quarantine measures.
The case is still under further investigation.
Visitors and residents from China and Vietnam cross the two countries’ border in Fangchenggang, South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on December 3, 2018. Photo:VCG
