NANNING -- A gang suspected of smuggling more than 3,000 tons of rice has been busted in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, customs authorities said on Sunday.

The gang is suspected of smuggling rice worth about 10 million yuan ($1.6 million) and evading 7 million yuan in taxes.

Ten members of the gang were captured last week near the China-Vietnam border when they tried to smuggle rice into Guangxi, according to Nanning Customs.

The rice was bought in Vietnam, the customs said.

Five core members have been detained for criminal prosecution as Nanning Customs continue digging for evidence against the gang.

The anti-smuggling division of Nanning Customs was tipped off about the gang in August and started to investigate its activities with the help of local police.

This year, Nanning Customs have cracked five organized rice smuggling cases. About 50,000 tons of rice worth more than 300 million yuan were involved in those cases.

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