Bangladeshi National Among 3 Held for Smuggling Stolen Phones

Law enforcers in southwest China's Yunnan Province have arrested three people, including a Bangladeshi national, for allegedly smuggling stolen mobile phones worth over 30 million yuan (about 4.28 million U.S. dollars) into China, local police said Tuesday.

The three suspects were detained on Friday in the city of Ruili, which borders Myanmar, the Ruili Public Security Bureau said in a statement.

Police seized 10,813 mobile phones and 725 phone accessories from the suspects' rented house in the city.

They also confiscated two vehicles that were allegedly used to transport the smuggled phones.

The statement said the three suspects have been detained for further investigation.

In recent years, Yunnan has stepped up its efforts to combat cross-border smuggling and has cracked down on several major smuggling cases.

In July, police in the province seized over 200,000 smuggled cigarettes worth over 10 million yuan.

In April, they seized 20 tons of smuggled frozen pork worth over 10 million yuan.

The province is a major gateway for cross-border trade between China and Southeast Asia.

It shares a border with Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam.

The smuggling of goods into China is a serious crime and can result in severe penalties, including imprisonment.