150 held in 'red oil' smuggling case
1 September 2002
Customs officials have detained more than 150 people accused of involvement in smuggling US$169m of diesel oil and other goods into Guangdong province, reported the Financial Times.
Zheng Hongjun, a fisherman's son and former low-level tax official, was alleged to have illegally organised the importation of 'red oil' (diesel that is duty free in Hong Kong and dyed red to distinguish it from taxable oil) in a fleet of small, specially adapted boats. Zheng was said to have used his own 500-tonne oil storage facility, six petrol stations and a network of offices and affiliates throughout the Pearl River Delta.
