Customs officers uncover solid waste smuggling case

Beijing customs officers said Saturday that they seized four suspects involved in the smuggling of 4,474 tonnes of waste plastics and metals.

China currently allows the import of solid waste but it is under strict license management and the waste should be processed in designated places, said Xu Changcheng, a Beijing customs official.

Two Beijing companies colluded with a cargo agent in the neighbouring Tianjin Municipality to import solid waste and sell it to unlicensed processing companies for profits, according to the customs.

Most of the smuggled solid wastes were processed simply in small workshops, which seriously polluted the air and water in their environs, according the investigation of Peng Yong, an anti-smuggling policeman in charge of the case.