BEIJING, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese customs authorities handled 4,959 smuggling cases with a total value of 88.61 billion yuan (12.47 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC).
Among them, 697 cases involved "shui ke," a term describing individuals who either smuggle for personal gain or are recruited by organized criminal gangs to engage in smuggling, with a total value of 6.01 billion yuan; while petroleum smuggling cases stood at 118, with a total value of 18.24 billion yuan.
Meanwhile, 866 cases of agricultural products-related smuggling involved a total value of 11.02 billion yuan, and 52 cases related to tax rebate fraud, with a total value of 14.25 billion yuan.
In a statement, GAC said that customs authorities will maintain a heavy-handed approach in dealing with smuggling this year. ■
