South China Province Offers Cash for Tips on Illegal Border Crossing, Smuggling

South China’s Guangdong province has stepped up crackdowns on smuggling and illegal border crossings, with local authorities offering cash rewards for tip-offs, after several stowaways entering or passing through the province from Hong Kong were confirmed with Covid-19.

Four districts in the city of Zhuhai issued notices (link in Chinese) on Tuesday and Wednesday, offering rewards of up to 100,000 yuan ($15,785) to local residents who provided credible reports on smuggling, illegal border crossings or organized illegal crossings. The measure aims to prevent Covid cases imported from overseas, the notices said.