Wheelchair-bound travelers skirt customs inspections because they are allowed to use dedicated express channels. Photos: Sing Tao, bastillepost.com
Smugglers are using wheelchair-bound travelers to transport goods across the border.
They have found a new way to skirt customs inspections with wheelchair passengers typically allowed to use special access channels.
Sing Tao Daily is reporting that parallel traders continue to come up with creative schemes after authorities cracked down on pram-pushing women.
Disabled travelers allow them to operate with low risk and high return.
Most wheelchair couriers are from Hong Kong and are disabled but some are fake.
About 100 have crossed the border in recent weeks, carrying everything from diamonds to milk powder and electronics.
They could earn up to HK$3,000 (US$387) per trip smuggling gold or diamond and up to HK$80,000 a month.
A Sing Tao reporter said he recently saw several parallel traders in electric wheelchairs offload food and daily necessities in canvas bags.
They are able to evade customs on both sides of the border because they are allowed to use dedicated channels for the elderly and disabled, he said.
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