Several years ago, a man named Mr Shao discovered that certain aircraft models operating international flights to the United States had a special compartment onboard that could be used to smuggle someone out of China. Upstanding citizen that he is, Shao promptly set out to exploit his newfound knowledge, recruiting a number of personnel to help him set up an illegal immigration operation.

While the specifics of the operation are still a bit hazy, it appears that Shao or one of his crew would escort the person to be smuggled on to a domestic flight whose aircraft was scheduled to fly to the United States the next day. Using a specially-made screwdriver, they’d open up the secret compartment, stow the person inside, and then another member of his crew would let them out the next day during the international flight, after which they were somehow able to sneak them through customs.

The operation ran from March 2009 to June 2011, illegally transporting 33 Fujian citizens to the U.S. in the meantime. Sometime afterward, the operation was discovered, and Shao and his crew were arrested. According to the news report, the Shanghai First Intermediate People's Court just recently tried the case, sentencing Shao and his crew to 19-months to 10 years in prison.

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Keywords: secret airplane compartment Chinese smuggling case