Price-gouging deliverymen held by police
Two deliverymen who sold daily necessities to people have been taken into custody for illegal activities, Shanghai police said Thursday.
A deliveryman surnamed Chen was was found to be working without a valid digital pass during a check by police in Jing'an District at the intersection of Nanjing Road W. and Xikang Road on Monday evening.
Police also found Chen was selling cigarettes on the Internet to people.
Cigarettes became rare due to the city's lockdown. Chen, taking advantage of his job, hoarded hundreds of cartons and sold the cigarettes at 50 yuan (US$7.5) more per carton than market price and profited by over 40,000 yuan, according to police.
The cigarette cartons Chen advertised through WeChat
Chen could face the criminal charge of running an illegal business for selling cigarettes without an authorized permit, police said.
Another deliveryman surnamed Li is a suspect in another case reported in Hongkou District.
According to a resident surnamed Kong, he purchased eight packs of dumplings for 1,440 yuan from Li on April 30 after Li claimed that he could help buy daily necessities in a WeChat group.
Kong said he had no idea that the pack of dumplings he bought usually costs only about 30 yuan until his family told him.
Police found that Li was price gouging his clients on various daily necessities. Helped by a guard in the residential complex, Li delivered the goods to his clients by a car without a valid pass.
Li and the guard surnamed Wang allegedly made a profit of over 30,000 yuan on their illegal activities, police said.
