Customs authorities in Shenzhen and Xiamen have jointly busted earlier last year a cigarette smuggling ring with 60 members, the city's leading news Web site www.sznews.com reported Thursday.

The smuggling cartel reportedly smuggled more than 200,000 cases of cigarettes worth 2.08 billion yuan (US$266.67 million) from 2003 to 2006, evading taxes totaling 1.28 billion yuan, the report said, citing information released at a press conference Wednesday.

The ringleader, surnamed Lu, was once a seafood vendor in Shishi City, Fujian Province. He was introduced to the world of cigarette smuggling when working as a porter carrying the cigarettes for smugglers.

After the smuggling gang Lu worked for was smashed by Fujian Customs in 2002, Lu returned to his village and set up a smaller smuggling group, offering villagers high returns.

The sudden increase in Lu's wealth brought him to the notice of customs authorities in Fujian, as he was unemployed and had no income.

A task force jointly set up by Shenzhen and Xiamen customs found that Lu and his relatives smuggled cigarettes from the Philippines using a rented ship, and transported them to Lu's village on the Fujian coast in small boats. Then villagers helped unload the boats.

In January 2006, Shenzhen Customs nabbed Lu and 30 other key members of the smuggling ring, when they came to Shenzhen. Xiamen Customs detained 32 suspects in a separate blitz.

Further investigation found a ring member surnamed Lin was responsible for purchasing cigarettes in Hong Kong and a ring member surnamed Cai was responsible for transporting them from the Philippines to the Shishi sea area while Lu was responsible for sneaking them across the border and distributed them in market.

Editor: Yan