Ruili port in Southwest China's Yunnan Province links the country with Myanmar. Photo: VCG

A member of the epidemic control and prevention staff at the border in Southwest China's Yunnan Province has been severely punished for attempting to smuggle a Vietnamese person across the border, local authorities said on Tuesday. The punishment includes removing all subsidies for the staff member and his family, closing his bank account and phone services, and preventing him from taking trains or airplanes.

The staff member surnamed Wang, 38, was taken into criminal detention in Hekou county for allegedly transporting a Vietnamese national across the border on October 22, the Kunming Daily reported, citing a police notice.

In accordance with the law, Wang and his direct relatives will face severe punishment, including the removal of their subsidies for guarding the borderline as well as other subsidies. 

Wang and his family members will be banned from joining the Communist Party of China, the army or any other public bodies, the report said, and Wang's bank account and phone services will also be closed. 

Wang will be prevented from taking trains and airplanes, the notice said, adding that his children will be barred from attending private schools. Business licenses for Wang and his immediate family members will also be suspended.

The property involved in the smuggling case will be confiscated together with Wang's driving license and operating permits. 

Ruili, another city in Yunnan Province that shares a long border with Myanmar, has recently been ramping up efforts to adjust its anti-epidemic policy to accelerate the establishment of a new epidemic prevention and control model for land ports. 

Experts believe that setting up a buffer zone could effectively reduce the impact of the epidemic and ensure normal economic development.