Chinese customs handled a total of 1,058 smuggling cases in the first quarter of this year, a statement from the General Administration of Customs showed.
The number rose 92.7 percent from the same period in 2020, according to the statement.Specifically, customs nationwide dealt with 718 tax-related smuggling cases, up 144.2 percent year on year. These cases involved goods worth 24.4 billion yuan (about 3.77 billion U.S. dollars).
Other types of smuggling cases increased 33.3 percent, involving endangered species and narcotics, the statement said.Â
