Lai Changxing, the alleged smuggling kingpin, was prosecuted for smuggling and bribery by the People's Procuratorate of Xiamen on February 13.

Lai, born in 1958, was the former head of the Yuanhua Group and a smuggling ring. An investigation found that from 1996 to 1999, through paying bribes and cultivating connections with local officials, Lai's gang managed to smuggle a range of goods valued at 53 billion yuan ($8.42 billion), from oil and cars to cigarettes, evading taxes of 30 billion yuan ($4.77 billion) through the Xiamen customs. He bribed dozens of government officials and ordered his subordinates to do so, too.

Lai fled to Canada via Hong Kong in August 1999 and tried to obtain refugee status there. He attempted to avoid deportation by claiming he could face death penalty if he was sent back. After being repatriated to China on July 23, 2011, he was arrested for smuggling and bribery.