A still from the film, “Death Ray on Coral Island” (1980).

A Chinese citizen who attempted to sneak past customs by dressing up as a “laowai” was busted by police because his English was so poor, reports Sohu.

Chengdu border police officer Xiao Liu first had doubts about the suspect when he saw a discrepancy between the suspect and the suspect’s passport picture. Xiao Liu’s suspicions were confirmed when the suspect displayed an incredibly poor English ability.

When confronted, the man admitted he bought the passport. The man said he had dyed his beard and gotten a perm in order to disguise himself as a foreigner in order to sneak through customs.

Photo: Asia Obscurra

Qianhai, a special economic zone in northwestern Shenzhen, may be home to a “mini Hong Kong” featuring a special shopping mall with Hong Kong brands,  reports The Standard.

The Qianhai Management Authority revealed they are currently negotiating with Hong Kong merchants as they showed off the proposed area to Hong Kong and mainland media.

The report states that the Qianhai Management Authority plans to have the shopping mall developed and operational by the end of this year. However, the same report quotes Qianhai authority spokesman Wang Jinxia pouring a bit of cold water on the plan.

“The concept of setting up a shopping center in Qianhai to provide another choice for mainlanders is purely exploratory at this stage.”

The Qianhai Management Authority said the shopping center will be able to ease pressure on Hong Kong from the flood of visitors under the individual travel scheme. However, data shows that mainland visitors to Hong Kong dropped during the Labor Day long weekend, the first such drop since 2003. From May 1 to 3, there were only 388,070 visitors to Hong Kong, a drop of 1.7%.

And yet, others have been suggesting that mainland visitors who want to shop for Hong Kong goods be able to do so without having downtown Hong Kong involved in the process. The Heung Yee Kuk, a rural Hong Kong group, has recommended the establishment of a shopping center in Sha Tau Kok to divert mainland shoppers from the cool parts of town that Hong Kongers frequent.

This all sounds like a good idea that should have been implemented years ago, but one factor still remains unresolved. Wang stated that the Qianhai Management Authority has still has not yet decided whether the sales of Hong Kong products in the new “mini Hong Kong” will be tax-free.

For that, we may have to wait until the end of the year when the mall is finally completed or exploratory plans have been confirmed.

Photos: Hexun

If you’re unfamiliar with khat, which is also known by the names “Arabian Tea” or “Bushman’s Tea”, the Guangzhou police want you to be aware that this drug is equivalent to heroin and has a euphoric high that lasts for two days.

Described as relatively new to China, the emergence of khat is troubling to local law officials because the drug looks like amaranth greens when fresh, and like dried tea leaves when dried.

READ: Meet the New Drug on the Streets of Guangzhou: Khat, the “Arabian Tea”

Khat received lots of attention recently when it was reported the drug was being packaged in orange drink powder packages with cartoon images on the front.

Khat is considered a way of life for some cultures though it is considered a prohibited substance in countries like the USA and the UK. The World Health Organization does not consider khat to be seriously addictive.

Related:

• Nigerian Man Caught Using Chinese Girlfriend to Smuggle Drugs Out of Guangdong
• Foreigner Caught Smuggling Live Birds in His Jeans at Guangzhou Airport 

Photo: Dongguan Daily Report

Sorry, Danny Ocean with Chinese characteristics: the gig is up.

Macau has just announced changes to its entry requirements to deter mainland high-rollers from coming to the territory. Starting on July 1, mainland visitors holding a Chinese passport in transit will only be allowed to stay a maximum of five days, down from an original seven, according to Bloomberg.

READ: Guangdong Residents Can Now Visit
Hong Kong and Macau with Their Fingerprints

However, some critics of the plan point out that the change won’t actually succeed at what it’s supposed to accomplish. Jose Pereira Coutinho, a directly elected legislator in the 33-member Legislative Assembly, said, ”It won’t help resolve the existing problem for some mainland visitors to travel to Macau without traveling to another destination.” In other words, they can still get a lot of gambling done in the new five-day period.

The last time Macau made changes to its entry requirements was in 2008 when it shortened the maximum stay from 14 days to seven. As well, mainland tourists that re-enter Macau within 30 days of their previous stay will only be allowed to stay one day, down from two days.

Additionally, China UnionPay has promised to clamp down on illegal payments made with handheld devices in Macau gambling establishments, an amount analysts say was worth billions last year.

Related:

• Macau Buckles Under the Weight of Mainland Tourists, Considering Limiting Visitors
• New 24-Hour Border Crossing Between Zhuhai and Macau Proposed

Photo: deltabridges

Different from the traditional paper booklets, the new e-pass is the size of an ID card. Residents can cross the border in about 10 seconds by pressing one’s finger on a fingerprint scanner. About 30% of the self-serve e-channels have been installed and finished testing, the report said.

The new travel pass (left)

Policies regarding the HK and Macau travel pass still remain the same, and so do the fees. The old paper booklet is eligible for use as long as it it within the expiration date, the report said.

The e-pass for adults is valid for 10 years from the start of the issue day, and for children under age 16, the e-pass is valid for five years. When applying for the new e-pass, applicants have to submit finger print samples. Application for the new travel pass takes seven working days at a local public security immigration office and upgrading the old travel pass to the new version takes 10 working days.

Home page and content page photo credit: Yangcheng Evening News

Two Shatoujiao Customs officials were arrested Jan. 10 by Yantian People’s Procuratorate on suspicion of bribery, Xinhua reports.

Mr. Wu (51), who is head of customs and excise was arrested Jan. 10 along with the allied party secretary Mr. Chen on Jan. 10 after an investigation that commenced at the beginning of the month, Shenzhen Municipal People’s Procuratorate told reporters. Seven customs officials have been placed under investigation for corruption this week.

Shatoujiao Customs has jurisdiction over both Zhongying Street checkpoint and Daya Bay checkpoint. Wu earlier served as head of customs and excise at Luohu Checkpoint and was appointed to his current role in 2010.

Gan Xiaojuan allegedly used fake identities, image courtesy of Nandu Daily

In another, more bizarre case, somebody else may fall after the retired head of the Luohu District Housing Authority Gan Xiaojuan was accused by her ex-lover of using dual identities to purchase multiple properties. Luohu CPPCC member Chen Zhilan lived with Gan for 10 years and also claims she cheated him out of money, according to 163.

Chen claims that Gan owns five apartments in Luohu alone and between 2004 and 2009 took him on holiday to a number of countries including Vietnam, Myanmar, Australia, Finland, and Germany. Gan stands accused of spending public money on herself.

Gan denies any wrongdoing and has welcomed the investigation. The date of the court hearing is yet to be confirmed.

Their method of smuggling the 2.25 million yuan-worth of drugs? In their bowels. Customs officials said both men still have drug capsules inside their bodies but haven’t passed them yet.

Suspicion was raised when the Palestinian refused to go through an X-Ray scanning machine. When he eventually complied, the capsules were found.

Airport customs officials think the men were being paid to transport the drugs to Guangzhou via Shenzhen.

Earlier this year, 44.9 kilograms of drugs were found in the luggage of two outbound Malaysians at the airport.

The investigation is continuing. If convicted, the men face pretty severe penalties. In 2009, China executed a mentally handicapped British man for drug smuggling.

Considering the history of foreigners and drugs in China, it is advisable to stay well away from such things.