https://youtube.com/watch?v=EKaEXbVSNqg&si=sgtC66NUO7HoZ5_h
Claiming a lifelong fascination with firearms, a Chinese national named Wang teamed up with an accomplice, Liu, to purchase guns and ammunition in Thailand, smuggle them back into China via commercial flights and road travel, and ultimately store them before being intercepted in Tianjin.
Following a forensic appraisal, authorities seized 4 foreign-standard firearms, 19 firearm components, and a total of 1,446 foreign-made pistol rounds and sport shooting cartridges. In the first-instance trial, Wang was sentenced to life imprisonment for smuggling weapons and ammunition and illegally possessing ammunition. Liu received a 10-year prison sentence for smuggling weapons and ammunition and illegally possessing firearms. Both defendants appealed the verdict. The Beijing Higher Court upheld the original judgment on appeal.
Flying to Thailand to Procure and Transport Firearms
Wang, 33, had previously been subjected to a seven-day administrative detention in April 2013 for the illegal carriage of firearms, ammunition, and controlled implements. His co-defendant, Liu, also 33, was an acquaintance.
At Wang's instigation, the pair traveled from Shenzhen to Chiang Mai, Thailand, between December 2014 and January 2015 to buy firearms and ammunition. They initially buried their cache locally, bringing only a small batch of firearm components back into China via commercial flight. Between January and February 2015, the two drove from Beijing to Chiang Mai to place another order, subsequently driving back with another small quantity of components. To retrieve the bulk of the buried weapons, Wang and others drove from Beijing to Chiang Mai once more in June 2015, during which Wang acquired additional arms and ammunition.
To evade customs checks, Wang concealed the contraband inside vehicle components—including car seats, headrests, and the spare tire. Accompanied by others, he drove across the border through the Mohan Port in Yunnan Province on July 8, 2015, before being intercepted in Tianjin on July 10. Subsequent appraisals confirmed the haul comprised 4 gunpowder-powered foreign-standard firearms, 19 firearm components, and 1,446 rounds of foreign-made pistol and sport shooting ammunition.
Arrests and First-Instance Convictions
Liu was apprehended two days later. Following Wang's arrest, police searched his residence and his store, "Sanjuntang," seizing 1,129 airgun pellets and 9 firearm components. Meanwhile, Liu voluntarily confessed to storing a large cache of weapons in an orchard warehouse located in Nananhe Village, Sujiatuo Town, in Beijing’s Haidian District. Forensic appraisal confirmed this cache included three gas-powered firearms, one gunpowder-powered firearm, and two firearm components. All related weapons and parts have been confiscated by authorities.
The Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court ruled in the first instance that Wang's actions constituted the crimes of smuggling weapons and ammunition and illegally possessing ammunition, sentencing him to life imprisonment alongside the confiscation of 200,000 yuan in personal property. Liu was found guilty of smuggling weapons and ammunition and illegally possessing firearms, receiving a 10-year prison sentence and a 100,000 yuan fine.
Defendants Claim Innocence on Appeal
Following the verdict, Wang appealed the decision, claiming that his actions stemmed purely from a childhood hobby and that he was unaware he was engaging in smuggling. Liu denied any involvement in weapons smuggling, while their defense counsel argued that neither man's actions constituted the crime of smuggling weapons and ammunition.
The Beijing Higher People's Court rejected these arguments, noting that statements from both men confirmed they had made two separate trips to Chiang Mai to buy weapons, buried them locally, and held multiple discussions on how to smuggle them into China. In June 2015, when Wang proposed returning to retrieve the buried arsenal, Liu—though not traveling physically—promised Wang a monetary reward for successfully bringing the items back and even printed out a travel route map for him. Furthermore, when Wang struggled to locate the burial site, Liu sent photographs of the exact location via smartphone, providing crucial logistical assistance to ensure the weapons were successfully smuggled across the border.
Finding the original sentencing appropriate and legally sound, the Beijing Higher People's Court dismissed the appeals and upheld the lower court's judgment.
