China busts oil-smuggling network, detains 18 suspects

NANJING, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Customs authorities in east China's Jiangsu Province have busted a major network involved in smuggling about 46,000 tonnes of Oil worth 232 million yuan (34.5 million U.S. dollars).

Eighteen suspects were caught, with 800 tonnes of refined Oil and two Oil transport ships seized, Customs with the city of Nanjing announced Wednesday.

Customs officers had information about a group suspected of illegally shipping refined Oil from overseas. Preliminary investigation showed that the suspects had been using small ships to take over the Oil products from a ship on international waters since April 2018, bypassing Customs inspection and illegally importing the Oil into China.

The gang was busted on March 13. Further investigation is underway.