China jails corrupt customs chief

Shenzhen is a place of wealth - and crime

The former customs chief of southern China's booming Shenzhen region has been sentenced to life imprisonment for taking bribes, official media report.

Zhao Yucun was accused of taking kickbacks of more than $1m, according to the Xinhua news agency.

Its report said he received the bribes along with his two daughters who were jailed for six and three years by the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court.

Correspondents say Zhao is one of the most senior officials to be put on trial in recent years.

Prosecutors said he took the bribes to turn a blind eye to the smuggling of commodities such as cooking oil and petrol - which were highly taxed at the time.

Xinhua said all the money paid in bribes had been surrendered by Zhao and his children.

Death sentence

Separately, the former chairman of a state-owned company was given a suspended death sentence.

Xinhua reported that Li Yuguo, former chairman of the Shenzhen Urban Construction Group, was convicted of receiving a series of bribes, including three payments worth hundreds of thousands of US dollars each.

Shenzhen borders Hong Kong and has seen huge economic growth since it was opened up as a capitalist haven, correspondents say.

But smuggling between the Special Economic Zone and Hong Kong is rife and criminal gangs run extremely lucrative contraband businesses, they say.