Cigarettes Smugglers Sentenced (fwd)

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

Cigarettes Smugglers Sentenced

by Xinhua via NewsEdge
CHINA;
Source: NewsEdge, Wednesday, 8/18/99

Xinhua via NewsEdge Corporation : HANGZHOU (Aug. 17) XINHUA - A court in the 
city of Taizhou in east  China's Zhejiang Province has handed out sentences 
ranging from seven  years to life imprisonment to 28 people convicted of 
cigarette  smuggling. 


The three main convicts, Qiu Wenda, Qiu Yupao, and Qiu Shangshu, were  
sentenced to life imprisonment, deprived of political rights for life,  and 
fined 40,000 yuan each. 


Cai Guoqi and Qiu17175 EN175 Weishan were given imprisonment of 13  years and 
fined 20,000 yuan each. The twenty-three others were  sentenced to seven years 
imprisonment and fined 10,000  each. 


According to the court, the 28 fishermen from the city of  Shishi in 
east China's Fujian Province, were involved in  smuggling 8,960 cases of 
British-made "555" and US-made "Marlboro" cigarettes between last October and 
January of this year, and evaded some  34.5 million yuan in taxes. 


        
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