A crime syndicate accused of smuggling car parts, fuel and frozen meat evaded millions of yuan in tax, a court in Zhongshan, a city in Guangdong Province, has heard.

The total value of the smuggled goods was estimated to be as high as 300 million yuan ($41 million), the Intermediate People's Court of Zhongshan was told.

Eighteen members of the smuggling ring are currently on trial, including ringleaders Huang Yuansheng and Chen Jirao. The court has yet to make a final judgment.

The seriousness of the case and the amount of tax evaded aroused the attention of the central government.

The General Administration of Customs, the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Supreme People's Court, have all been involved in exhaustive investigations. The smugglers began operating in June 2004.

Within two months, they are alleged to have smuggled more than 881 tons of frozen meat from Hong Kong to Huizhou and Zhuhai by boat. In doing so, it is estimated they evaded 2 million yuan in tax.

From August 2005 to May 2006, the syndicate used similar methods to smuggle car parts from Hong Kong to Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Zhongshan, evading almost 24 million yuan in tax.

The group also smuggled nearly 245 tons of fuel from Hong Kong to Zhuhai, evading 170,745 yuan in tax. They were netted on November 27, 2006.

(China Daily December 27, 2007)