Customs Agents Clamp Down on Artful Dodgers

Collectors and investors bid for a rare painting at a June 3 auction in Beijing

(Beijing) – A museum curator, an investment advisor and an influential auctioneer are among players in China's art-and-collectibles world nabbed as part of a government crackdown on tax-evading importers.

The campaign was set in motion by recent tax law changes designed to standardize what had been arbitrary customs levies on sculptures, paintings and other works of art, as well as antiques and collectibles bought overseas.