Smuggled cigarettes destroyed in China

China's customs and tobacco authorities destroyed 375,890 cartons of smuggled cigarettes worth 22 million yuan ($3.6 million) in Zhanjiang City in south China's Guangdong Province on Tuesday.

The cigarettes involved more than 30 brands including Marlboro, 555, and Double Happiness. They were shredded before transported to a local power plant to be used as burning material.

Officials said the destruction illustrated China's firm stance in abiding by the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. It also showed the country's achievements in cracking down on the illegal trade of tobacco.

Lv Bin, vice minister of the General Administration of Customs, said China has stepped up efforts in its fight against tobacco smuggling. He said that 34 smuggling cases were cracked nationwide last year that involved 1.84 billion cigarettes worth 2.33 billion yuan.

He said cigarette smuggling would continue to exist due to its highly-profitability, but Chinese authorities would maintain a strict crackdown on it.