Customs suing Internet celebrity store for smuggling merchandise
Customs agents check the smuggled products in the wanghong (Internet celebrity) furniture and home accessories store.
Local customs officials announced on Thursday the agency is suing the owners of a Shanghai wanghong (Internet celebrity) furniture and home accessories store for smuggling merchandise worth 40 million yuan (US$6.2 million).
To avoid paying taxes, store employees created fake contracts, receipts and other documents with lower prices than the actual figures. The Shanghai Customs’ anti-smuggling bureau recently seized more than 80 items imported from Japan, India, Denmark and Spain.
Products were sold online and in the store, which has more than 100,000 followers on Taobao and a presence on other social media platforms, including Douyin (known overseas as TikTok) and Xiaohongshu.
The shop's name has yet to be revealed.
