A Hong Kong man was detained by the Luohu Customs for carrying 54 imitation pistols Dec. 7, the customs announced.

The case was the largest in terms of the number of pistols seized among 132 similar cases that involved a total of 228 pieces of mock weapons and more than 650 accessories this year, the customs said.

The Hong Kong resident surnamed Yang was found behaving suspiciously by a customs officer while passing through the Luohu Checkpoint. A scan of his luggage revealed it was packed with imitation pistols wrapped in black plastic bags. The pistols were almost identical to the real ones, with the same length, weight and structure.

Yang claimed that he was paid HK$500 by a stranger at the Sheung Shui railway station in Hong Kong to carry the guns to Shenzhen.

The export and import of mock weapons are forbidden under Chinese law. The customs, however, has caught an increasing number of passengers involved in trafficking of imitation weapons since the beginning of this year.

The demand for imitation weapons rises as military games became popular on the Chinese mainland, the customs said.

Yang was sent to the anti-smuggling bureau under the Shenzhen Customs and the case was still under investigation, according to the customs.

(Shenzhen Daily December 13, 2005)