Customs houses across China handled 9,627 smuggling cases in 2005, which involved a combined goods value of 9.85 billion yuan (US$1.23 billion), according to a senior official of the General Administration of Customs.

 

A total of 2,769 suspects have been dealt with, 748 of whom have been transferred to the procuratory departments, Mu Xinsheng, director of customs, told a national conference on customs work in Beijing on Tuesday.

 

Last year, 467.9 kilograms of drugs were seized by customs, Mu said.

 

Mu said that his department will continue to focus their efforts on cracking down on smuggling in 2006.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 12, 2006)