Zhuhai’s Gongbei Customs announced in a statement yesterday that its officers seized 33 cultural relics at Qingmao Port (checkpoint) recently.
Gongbei Customs identified the smuggler surnamed Wu in the statement.
When Wu was leaving Zhuhai through the “green channel” at the pedestrian checkpoint’s inspection hall, customs officers noticed that the X-ray image of his hand luggage showed abnormalities during a routine inspection. When customs officers intercepted Wu for further inspection, they discovered 50 coins suspected to be cultural relics in his suitcase.
On July 2, the Guangdong Provincial Cultural Heritage Appraisal Station identified among the suspected items a total of 33 coins as restricted cultural relics that cannot be taken out of the country, the statement said, adding that these included 21 copper coins from the Tang (618 - 907) to Qing (1636/1644 - 1912) dynasties and 12 copper coins from the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China period.
Gongbei Customs reminds the public that under the Cultural Relics Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), cultural relics taken out of the Chinese mainland must be reviewed by an import/export approval institution designated by the State Council’s Cultural Relics Administration Department, and can only exit the Chinese mainland via designated ports with a valid permit. Any organisation or individual transporting or carrying cultural relics out of the Chinese mainland must declare them to Customs, and Customs will release them only upon presentation of the cultural relics exit permit. Smuggling cultural relics that constitutes a criminal offence will be subject to criminal liability. If the incident constitutes smuggling but does not amount to a criminal offence, Customs will impose administrative penalties.
This undated handout photo provided by Zhuhai’s Gongbei Customs yesterday shows 50 suspected cultural heritage coins seized by its officers at Qingmao Port (checkpoint) recently.
