News 780 Intel CPUs Seized In $137,000 Smuggling Operation Bust

[Admin]

Chinese customs found 780 Intel processors hidden inside a bus engine with an estimated worth of over $137,000.

780 Intel CPUs Seized In $137,000 Smuggling Operation Bust : Read more

 

[TechieTwo]

Must be the punishment in China isn't severe enough to dissuade criminals.

 

[thisisaname]

I wonder what happens to all the Seized stuff.

 

[LabRat 891]

Who is writing this? (Or, more importantly) Who's proofreading these articles?

Sized instead of Seized

Silicon instead of Silicone

 

[derekullo]

Who is writing this? (Or, more importantly) Who's proofreading these articles?

Sized instead of Seized

Silicon instead of Silicone

You are assuming it was written by a human!

 

[newtechldtech]

I wonder what happens to all the Seized stuff.

sold on ebay 😛

 

[neojack]

I wonder why it's a big deal.

I mean China needs those CPUs for it's economic growth and military , and as far as I know, the sanctions are enforced by the US not by the chinese government. So what is the advantage of the China's government to restrict the importation of CPUs ?

 

[TCA_ChinChin]

I wonder why it's a big deal.

I mean China needs those CPUs for it's economic growth and military , and as far as I know, the sanctions are enforced by the US not by the chinese government. So what is the advantage of the China's government to restrict the importation of CPUs ?

I think it's because of tariffs? The smugglers try to smuggle in the products so they won't have to declare the processors and pay a tax/tariff? I'm not sure, but that seems to be the only logical conclusion.

 

[BFG-9000]

Shrug ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

You only hear about these amateur hour cases because they got caught, as obviously the ones who got through don't make the news. Visible on "closer inspection of the engine" means they were too lazy to put it inside the oilpan or underneath the intake manifold of a V engine. It's not like those inspectors have the time or equipment needed to disassemble an engine or gas tank or the tires, but those plastic engine covers for quieting injector noise usually lift right off with no tools required.

So, lazy smugglers. And those inspectors have a pretty tough job because there are no electronics-sniffing dogs, so they primarily have to look for suspicious behavior to decide who gets closer inspection.

 

[Gauche Cockney]

Must be the punishment in China isn't severe enough to dissuade criminals.

China's governance is not that harsh as long as you are not a politic dissident, ethnic minority or protestant pastor

 

[Greg7579]

This is not news anymore. We all know that people sneak CPUs on various modes of transportation in order to skirt various tax laws in China and SE Asia. It is like smuggling cigarettes between States in the 1960s, or crates of beer across State lines to avoid a 2% higher tax in Colorado in 1971.
Who cares? You want some interesting smuggling stories of all types (drugs and humans)? Come to San Antonio where I live and interview some people....

 

[thisisaname]

I wonder why it's a big deal.

I mean China needs those CPUs for it's economic growth and military , and as far as I know, the sanctions are enforced by the US not by the chinese government. So what is the advantage of the China's government to restrict the importation of CPUs ?

Where do they end up? I do not know but I am quite sure they are not being destroyed.

 

[Chung Leong]

I grew up in Macau. I remember how people used to smuggle pieces of pork back into the city by strapping them to their body. The pay-off really doesn't have to be that high. Some people just like the feeling that they get from cheating the system.

Like neighboring Hong Kong, Macau has no VAT. It's like 13% in the mainland or something. It's not some hugely profitable enterprise. Better than smuggling pork.