Two Filipino sailors who were found guilty of smuggling cars have been sentenced to ten years imprisonment each and fined a total of 17 million yuan (about US$2.05 million).
The ruling was handed down by the Shantou Intermediate People's Court in south China's Guangdong Province. Rolando Madera and Johns Deraper will also be deported, according to the court.
The two were members of the 13-man crew of a ship loaded with 12 45-inch containers bound for Haiphong in Viet Nam from Kaohsiung in the Chinese province of Taiwan. They were caught when the ship was secretly steered to an aquatic product berth in Shantou in an attempt to unloaded the containers, at the orders of the ship's captain.
The containers were loaded with 69 cars of different makes, and the intention of the captain was to evade tariffs totaling the amount that the two sailors were eventually fined.
The captain, his ship and the remainder of the crew escaped arrest by officers of the Shantou Customs.
(People’s Daily)
