Dozens of oil smugglers seized in east China

Forty-nine suspects have been nabbed in east China's Shandong province in a diesel oil smuggling bust by police and customs worth 800 million yuan ($130 million).

Customs officers in Jinan, capital of Shandong announced on Monday that from early 2013 to July this year, a gang smuggled more than 100,000 tonnes of diesel from overseas using four ocean-going tankers and evading more than 200 million yuan of taxes.

The case is the biggest ever dealt with by customs in the Bohai Sea region, said Jinan customs.

Police seized 2,100 tonnes of diesel oil and netted 18 suspects when they raided one of the ships in July. The oil contained excessive levels of sulfur.

The oil was taken to several ports in east China, including Shanghai and Tianjin, for sale and profits. The suspects include six from a shipping company in Weifang City, Shandong.

Nine suspects have been officially arrested. Authorities are still investigating the case.