The Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department launched a province-wide anti-smuggling campaign since May, and has already seized more than 170,000 tons of smuggled refined oil and identified over 200 secret oil stations.

Guangdong Police Launch Special Campaign to Tackle Smuggling

“Since the operation of Tsunami 2019, the province has investigated 35 criminal cases involving the smuggling of refined oil products, destroyed 20 criminal gangs and arrested more than 280 criminal suspects,” said Zhou Huashan, Director of Guangdong Provincial Department of Public Security's Anti-Smuggling Bureau.

“The campaign has dealt a heavy blow to the refined oil smuggling business that used to occur in the province, and Guangdong police will keep fighting refined oil smuggling in the months ahead,” said Zhou. “The campaign has investigated intensively on the illegal transportation, warehouse and the sale of smuggled refined oil products,” continued Zhou who added that more than 200 secret gas stations and 190 illegal oil tankers have been raided across the province.

In May 29, the Zhanjiang Customs Anti-smuggling Bureau united with the Zhanjiang and Maoming City Public Security Bureaus and arrested 49 suspects in Guangzhou, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhaoqing and other places, and seized 571 tons of smuggled “red oil” on the spot.

Five oil smuggling gangs that have long been active in the Pearl River Delta and western Guangdong were eradicated. According to a preliminary investigation, suspects smuggled more than 160,000 tons of oil, with a case value of nearly 1 billion yuan.

“The smuggling of oil products is extremely harmful, not only impacting the domestic market but also causing serious tax losses in the country,” said Zhou who added that illegal oil products are corrosive to the engine of the vehicle due to the addition of chemicals such as concentrated sulfuric acid, which seriously endangers public transportation safety.

The smuggling of oil has also generated many mobile oil stations. These mobile trucks include the unlawful modification of small-sized trucks. The conditions of these vehicles are poor and safety cannot be guaranteed because oil is sold illegally in residential areas like a "mobile bomb", seriously endangering public safety.

Authors: Steven Yuen, Li Jiaxing (intern)

Editor: Chris