At GACC’s Anti-smuggling Command Center, Minister Ni Yuefeng directs the special action against illicit imported waste.

On the early morning of September 14, under the command of Minister Ni Yuefeng, China Customs launched the fourth round of the “Blue Sky 2018” campaign to combat the smuggling of illicit imported waste. Through the special action, the participating Customs Districts busted 62 smuggling syndicates, captured 243 criminal suspects, seized 599,700 tons of illicit imported waste including waste plastics, waste slag and waste metals, as well as other smuggled goods such as ozone depleting substances, charcoal and endangered species products, weighing 37,000 tons and valued 1.64 billion Yuan. Meanwhile they collected large amounts of smuggling evidence and froze illegal funds.    

This year China Customs has conducted 4 rounds of special anti-smuggling actions against illicit import of waste in an intensive clustered and full-chain manner, filing 387 criminal cases, capturing 578 criminal suspects, dismantled 186 smuggling syndicates, and seizing 1.45 million tons of illicit imported waste, with 221,000 tons seized on site. To minimize the detriment to local eco-environment, Customs authorities conducted harmless disposal or outward return of imported solid waste by coordinating with relevant administrations. Nanjing and Gongbei Customs Districts recently have returned a total of 116,000 tons of waste slag. 

As a result of solid-waste importation management reform, the legal import of solid waste has reduced a lot this year; from January to August, solid-waste import quantity totaled 13.828 million tons, down 56.8% year-on-year and the import value totaled 72.05 billion Yuan, down 33.4% year-on-year; at the meantime, China Customs found no new case of smuggling by false licenses.   

In the next stage, China Customs will continue the crackdown on criminal smuggling of illicit imported waste by deepening law enforcement cooperation with foreign countries/regions, so as to safeguard domestic eco-environment and human health.