Ex-mayor jailed

    WU JIEZHONG, a former mayor of Zhanjiang in Guangdong Province, has been sentenced to one year in jail by Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court for taking bribes.

    Wu, 64, was also fined 200,000 yuan (US$28,875). According to the prosecutors, Wu abused his power by taking 600,000 yuan and 30,000 euros (US$31,764) in bribes during 2010 and 2011 in exchange for offering water supply projects to businessman Han Qingyun in Zhanjiang. Wu surrendered to an investigation team from the Guangdong Party disciplinary inspection commission after his retirement in September 2015, and confessed his abnormal economic connections. Han is being investigated by Guangzhou Nansha People’s Procuratorate.

    Customs e-lanes

    SHENZHEN Customs promoted new e-lanes at Futian, Luohu and Shenzhen Bay checkpoints yesterday. The e-lanes are able to recognize different border passing documents, such as travel permits and passports, in three seconds.

    Inbound travelers can use the customs e-lanes after they complete an identity check by border control officers. The e-lane has adopted a big-data-based intelligent recognition system that may help customs identify high-risk travelers, such as parallel traders, for further inspections.

    Shenzhen checkpoints handle about 640,000 travelers a day.

    Phone refurbishing

    AN inbound foreigner was caught by Luohu Customs on Monday smuggling 257 used iPhones for refurbishing in electronic markets on the mainland.

    The man, wearing a backpack and holding a paper box, caught customs’ attention as he didn’t allow his luggage to be checked by the x-ray machine, but instead rushed past other travelers while they complied with inspection.

    Officers found 257 used phones wrapped and packed in his luggage. Most of them were iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus models.

    The case has been handed over to the anti-smuggling department for investigation.

    Didi chauffeurs salary

    THE average salary of Didi chauffeurs in Shenzhen reached 10,106 yuan in November, 1.8 times over the city’s average salary, a report of Didi said Wednesday.

    The report showed most drivers were born in the 1970s and 80s, accounting for 35.3 percent and 54 percent, respectively.