Customs officials at Shenzhen in south China have cracked a smuggling case, seizing 14 women who tried to smuggle iPad and cell phones.

Officials ferreted out 340 new cell phones and 88 iPad tablet computers, valued totally at over 950,000 yuan (US$142,638), Guangzhou Daily reported yesterday.

The suspects were caught on December 2 as they were going through customs on arrival from Hong Kong. A video showed they were all dressed in modern style, carrying big handbags on their shoulder. One of them even went through directly without x-ray checks.

Customs officers found they were "couriers" who helped carry goods for smugglers. One of the couriers carried 85 cell phones, with 20 phones in her handbag and 65 units bound around her waist.

The couriers, all from Shenzhen and Shantou, confessed to police they wanted to earn some extra money, 200 yuan per trip.

According to customs, there are more than 8,000 such couriers traveling between ports daily, and the average income of a professional courier can reach 5,000 yuan per month.