Zhang Yu

JeniZhang13@163.com

SHENZHEN has recently cracked 25 goods smuggling cases involving cross-border drivers, which have obstructed the prevention and control of infectious diseases, arresting 82 suspects, an official from the Shenzhen Municipal Public Security Bureau said at a press conference Thursday.

Among the 82 suspects, 75 were subject to criminal measures and seven received administrative punishment.  Nineteen cross-border drivers were suspected of having transported contraband, said Peng Guoqing, head of the bureau’s command division.

According to Peng, the bureau has established a round-the-clock multi-police collaborative combat system, continuously improved its alert and monitoring mechanism, and promptly handled smuggling-related clues like suspicious ships, vehicles, unlicensed cold stores, wharves and illegal refueling ships.

The bureau will work with relevant departments to strengthen the patrol and inspection outside transfer stations to prevent smuggled goods from being hidden in the driver’s cab and thrown out of cross-border trucks’ windows.

Hong Jun, head of the city’s market inspection bureau, said the city’s market regulation administration has formulated a special action plan to investigate imported frozen goods, stores selling Hong Kong goods near checkpoints, and tobacco and cigarette stores.

From Tuesday to Thursday, the administration conducted a three-day special inspection of frozen products across the city. As of Thursday morning, 516 cold stores were inspected by 744 law enforcers, who seized five boxes of lemons imported from the U.S. without Chinese labels weighing about 75 kilograms and a batch of illegally imported beef ribs.

During another recent inspection, the city’s market regulator also seized over 80 boxes of imported goods without proper documentation.

A notice on forbidding irregular cross-border transportation was released by the municipal transport bureau Wednesday in an effort to improve the closed-loop management of the city’s cross-border drivers.

According to Tan Hua, deputy head of Shenzhen Customs, the agency will further bolster checkpoint supervision, particularly at Huanggang, Shenzhen Bay, Wenjindu, Liantang and Futian checkpoints.

In another development, Shenzhen reported 17 locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases and five local asymptomatic infections Wednesday, the city’s health commission said Thursday.

Due to epidemic prevention and control, Nanshan Museum, Nantou Ancient City Museum, Chiwan Tianhou Palace, Chen Yu’s Former Residence and the Mausoleum of Emperor Zhao Bing of the Song Dynasty in Nanshan District would be temporarily closed from Thursday to July 27, according to a notice issued Thursday.