Segmented, in batches, bypassing customs and avoiding cards … 323 people were arrested for transporting others to sneak across the border.

People’s Daily Online, Beijing, June 21 (Hao Ping, Wu Nan) Recently, the National Immigration Administration organized and directed the Yunnan Entry-Exit Frontier Inspection Station to destroy a large transnational smuggling gang through line investigation, project management and international police law enforcement cooperation. The reporter learned from the National Immigration Bureau today that 323 people were arrested in this operation, and the gang’s principal "snakehead" Li was successfully arrested and handed over to China, and was transferred to Yingjiang County People’s Procuratorate in Dehong Prefecture for review and prosecution on June 20, and the "snake catching" operation achieved new results.

The smuggling suspect identified the scene. Photo courtesy of the National Immigration Bureau

In September, 2021, Sun Mou and Zhu Mou, who attempted to sneak out of the country to engage in illegal and criminal activities, surrendered themselves to the immigration management police of Yunnan Dehong Border Management Detachment because of the tight border control measures and the high-pressure situation, and explained the relevant case clues. Yunnan Dehong Border Management Detachment immediately organized elite police to set up a task force to follow the line for investigation. After sorting out and combing, a large transnational organization smuggling criminal gang that has been active in the border areas of Yunnan for a long time, headed by Li, a China-born "snakehead" hiding abroad, colluded with the "snakehead" in the mainland, and organized and transported others to sneak across the country (border) by means of segmentation, batch, walking and avoiding cards …

According to the investigation, the criminal suspect Luo Mou colluded with the overseas "snakehead" Li Mou to transport the people who tried to sneak out of the country from the inland provinces to the transit point in Dehong Prefecture, and then the gang member Cao Mou and others arranged for the vehicles to be transported to the border areas, while the overseas "snakehead" Li Mou arranged for the overseas smugglers Yu Mou and others to transport the illegal outbound people overseas to engage in cross-border illegal and criminal activities through segmented transportation.

Through analysis, the task force believes that the smuggling gang has a clear internal division of labor, hidden means of committing crimes and a strong sense of anti-investigation, and has formed a whole-process criminal chain such as mainland recruitment, inter-provincial transportation, transit hiding, border leading, and overseas response.

Suspected stowaways and vehicles seized by the immigration management police. Photo courtesy of the National Immigration Bureau

The reporter learned that in order to crack down on cross-border illegal and criminal activities in the whole chain and network, the State Administration of Immigration listed the case as a supervised case, and instructed the Yunnan Entry-Exit Frontier Inspection Station to carry out case investigation in an all-round way according to the investigation idea of "fighting gangs, cutting off channels, beheading snakeheads and destroying networks".

On February 22 this year, the investigation by the task force found that Luo frequently contacted Yu and others in an attempt to transport China nationals illegally out of the country from the border of Yingjiang County, Dehong Prefecture. On February 27th, a suspicious truck bound for the border caught the attention of the task force. Under the guidance of Luo Mou, a "snakehead", when Yu Mou, a foreign guide hiding somewhere on the border, was preparing to board the bus to lead the transfer of people who tried to sneak out of the country, the police took decisive action to quickly control Luo Mou, Yu Mou, and other key members of the smuggling gang, successfully arrested 4 illegal exit people and detained 3 vehicles involved.

"Snake Head" Li was hunted down and brought to justice. Photo courtesy of the National Immigration Bureau

In view of Li, a "snakehead" who has been hiding abroad for a long time, the State Immigration Bureau listed him as an important target of the "snake catching" operation, and instructed Yunnan Border Inspection Station to make full use of police law enforcement cooperation channels to strengthen communication and cooperation among overseas law enforcement agencies. On April 16, Li was successfully arrested and handed over to China on April 30. On June 20th, Yunnan Dehong Border Management Detachment transferred Li to Yingjiang County People’s Procuratorate of Dehong Prefecture for review and prosecution.

It is understood that up to now, the task force has arrested 85 organizers and transporters, smashed 9 dens, seized 172 stowaways, seized 47 vehicles involved, and cracked more than 30 cases of smuggling, gambling and telecommunication network fraud, arrested 66 suspects and seized and frozen more than 10 million yuan of funds involved.