A total of 16,700 individuals have been apprehended this year for suspected crimes involving obstruction of border control, China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA) told a news conference on Wednesday.
Border control authorities nationwide have seized 1.85 tonnes of drugs and 41.47 tonnes of precursor chemicals since the beginning of 2022, along with 565 guns and more than 10,000 bullets.
According to figures released by the NIA, 13,400 foreigners were found guilty of illegal entry, overstaying, or unlawful employment in China this year, with 8,000 of them repatriated.
In the first quarter of 2022, Chinese border authorities inspected a total of over 30 million entries and exits, which included nearly 14.6 million departures of Chinese residents, the NIA said.