Photo: Guangzhou Customs

Guangzhou customs cracked a large luxury goods smuggling case recently, detaining eight suspects and seizing illegally imported bags, clothes and jewelry worth around 230 million yuan ($33.6 million).

Using big data analysis, Guangzhou authorities found that a local tech company was carrying out the smuggling via its mini programs embedded in several e-commerce platforms. On July 28, all eight suspects involved in the case were arrested.

The company was suspected of illegally importing over 140,000 packages containing high-value products from famous luxury brands via several entry ports around the nation through cross-border e-commerce and express delivery since 2014, according to Guangzhou Customs.

Consumers believed that they had bought the goods via domestic e-commerce platforms when they paid for them. However, the sellers asked their partners to buy luxury goods in overseas markets and post them back illegally, a customs official said. The group claimed that the luxury products they sold were cheaper as they didn't pay any tax.