Zhuhai’s Gongbei Customs said in a statement yesterday that its officers have intercepted a woman trying to smuggle 320 bottles of botulinum toxin from Macau to Zhuhai through the Zhuhai checkpoint of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB) on January 18.
According to the statement, Zhuhai Customs officers saw a woman wearing a grey jacket and a long skirt, carrying a satchel and a suitcase, behaving abnormally when she passed through the metal detector at the Zhuhai checkpoint of HZMB.
Customs officers immediately intercepted her and discovered that her legs appeared to be abnormal. After further inspection, officers seized 320 bottles of botulinum toxin tied around her thighs, knees and calves.
The woman confessed to the fact that she was trying to evade customs inspection by smuggling the goods into mainland.
Gongbei Customs stressed that Botulinum toxin is a special item, and travellers carrying it into the mainland should obtain the “Entry/Exit Special Articles Hygiene and Quarantine Approval Form” and accept customs inspection in accordance with the laws on hygiene and quarantine, the statement said.
Those who evade customs inspections by hiding and carrying articles restricted to enter or leave the mainland are smuggling, and if the situation is serious and constitutes a crime, they will be investigated for criminal responsibility according to the law, the statement said.
Botulinum toxin is a medication used for therapeutic and cosmetic purposes, which is in the neurotoxin class of medications, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
According to the NHS’ Hull Teaching Hospital website botulinum toxin is a drug which causes muscles to relax. It is naturally produced by a bacterium called Clostridium Botulinum. More commonly known by the brand name “Botox”, it is now manufactured for use as a medical treatment for a number of neuromuscular conditions.
This undated handout photo provided by the Zhuhai’s Gongbei Customs yesterday shows the 320 bottles of botulinum toxin customs officers seized at the Zhuhai checkpoint of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB) from a woman arriving from Macau on January 18.
