China News Service, Fuzhou, November 29th (Wang Yun and Wu Zongwei) The Fuzhou Coast Guard Bureau of Fujian Province disclosed on the 29th that recently, the bureau launched an operation to crack down on smuggling frozen products in the sea area under its jurisdiction, and successfully cracked a major smuggling case at sea, and arrested criminals. 14 suspects seized a foreign smuggling "mother ship" and a domestic "connector" cargo ship, and seized about 600 tons of smuggled frozen goods involved in the case, with a total case value of about 36 million yuan (RMB, the same below).
As a result, the Coast Guard destroyed a smuggling gang that had been entrenched along the coast of Fujian for a long time, and realized the law enforcement effect of "beating the mother ship, destroying the chain, and cutting off the source", which effectively deterred the arrogance of sea smugglers.
This is the third foreign "mother ship" seized by the Fuzhou Coast Guard in the "Clean Sea 2022" special anti-smuggling operation.
The picture shows law enforcement officers checking the frozen products involved in the case.
Photo courtesy of Fuzhou Maritime Police Bureau
On November 10, 2022, the Fuzhou Coast Guard learned that a smuggling gang used foreign "mother ships" to smuggle frozen products to domestic ships in the waters near Dongyin Island, and attempted to go ashore along the coast of Fujian.
The bureau immediately launched the investigation plan and dispatched two law enforcement boats to the target sea area to carry out the investigation.
The law enforcement officers quickly identified and locked a foreign cargo ship and a bulk carrier that was using a crane to carry out transfer operations, and then drove the ship closer and shouted a warning.
After the two ships discovered the coast guard law enforcement boat, they not only refused to cooperate with the coast guard to help them board and inspect, but also lifted the anchor and started the main engine in an attempt to escape.
The law enforcement officers then forcibly boarded with help and successfully controlled the target ship.
The picture shows a container loaded with frozen products.
Photo courtesy of Fuzhou Maritime Police Bureau
After investigation, the two ships were loaded with about 600 tons of frozen products. The outer packaging of the frozen products had a simple foreign language label, and no legal source certificate was found on board, which was suspected of smuggling frozen products.
The law enforcement officers then seized the ship and the frozen goods on board according to law.
After preliminary verification, the smuggling gang has ordered frozen beef, tripe and other frozen products overseas many times this year, and then colluded with the smuggling gang to organize ships to smuggle them in from overseas areas. After changing the packaging through the underground frozen product market, they directly sold them to all parts of the country profiteering.
Pictured is the ship involved.
Photo courtesy of Fuzhou Maritime Police Bureau
At present, the Fuzhou Coast Guard has coordinated with the local government and the epidemic prevention department to complete the sampling and disinfection of frozen products. The suspects involved in the case have carried out nucleic acid testing and epidemic prevention isolation, and the case is under further investigation.
Since the "Clean Sea" operation in 2022, the Fuzhou Coast Guard has investigated and handled 39 smuggling crimes, seized 41 smuggled ships and 29 vehicles, confiscated and dismantled 33 smuggled "three noes" ships and Dalima speedboats. "5.20" extraordinarily large smuggling of frozen products, "8.27" series of smuggling of resource mineral products and other major cases involved 5 major cases. 1,150 tons of refined oil, 2,022 tons of frozen products, 11,000 tons of coal, and 406 tons of solid waste were seized, with a total case value of about 1.5 billion.
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