Spice smuggling gang busted in East China province

JINAN -- Qingdao customs in eastern China's Shandong province has busted a gang that smuggled spices worth 220 million yuan (around $31 million).

The spices smuggled from India and Indonesia weigh more than 10,000 tonnes, the custom said on Monday.

Qingdao customs received tip-offs in April that a businessman surnamed Xu was suspected of smuggling spices from India.

After months of investigation, the customs police uncovered the smuggling ring and launched a raid in September, with eight suspects arrested.