.China detains two Russians on suspicion of smuggling bear paws.

22/8 Tass 101a

BEIJING, August 22 (Itar-Tass) - Two Russians were detained in the
city of Manjouli, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Area, on a suspicion of
complicity in smuggling a batch of bear paws to China, reported the Xinhua
news agency on Saturday.
According to the Manjouli customs service, the detainees are two
Russian loco engine drivers. Early last June, they smuggled 15 bear paws
to Manjouli, hiding them in a cache under a wagon floor. The suspects were
apprehended at the city rail station at a time when one of them was
handing over a package with contraband goods.
They were transferred now to the prosecutor's office in the city of
Hulun Buir, which will investigate the case.
Bear paws are regarded a delicacy in China; they are also widely used
in traditional Chinese medicine. According to available information, the
coast of one bear paw may reach 1,000 US dollars in the country's black
market.
-0-bur/gor


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