Eight Ningbo customs officers investigated

Eight customs inspectors in Ningbo city, Zhejiang province, who allegedly accepted bribes to help a company evade tariffs, have been investigated by the local prosecutions department.

Zhang Chunfang, deputy director of the Ningo customs working office, said on Wednesday that in early April several customs inspectors from the Beilun district of Ningbo were taken away by local prosecutors for investigation.

They allegedly accepted bribes and offered help to a trading company for tax evasion, but the case is still under investigation, according to Ningbo customs authorities.

According to reports by 21st Century Business Herald, the Ningbo customs disciplinary inspection department last year found that five customs inspectors in Beilun district had large amounts of deposits in their personal accounts, which were not in line with their income.

The department found the inspectors used their positions to offer help to local enterprises to facilitate clearance. After interrogation, they were fired, the report said.