China Jails 27 in Massive Antimony Smuggling Bust Amid Tightening Mineral Controls
Beijing's High-Stakes Crackdown Sends a Clear Message to Would-Be Smugglers of the World's Most Strategic Metal
Imagine trying to sneak past the world's strictest gatekeeper with a metal that's quietly powering everything from your phone's battery to military hardware. That's exactly what 27 people attempted, and failed spectacularly, at the hands of a Shenzhen court on December 16, 2025. In a ruling that's sending shockwaves through global supply chains, Chinese authorities have thrown the book at smugglers caught shipping antimony ingots without export licenses, underscoring Beijing's unyielding control over one of its most strategic resources.
The operation was no amateur hour. Led by Wang Wubin, who conspired with overseas partners, the group bought up antimony ingots and slipped them out of the country using tried-and-true tricks: hidden compartments, disguises, and bogus customs declarations. The smuggling window was narrow, February and March this year, but the haul was massive: over 166 metric tons. Customs officers seized more than 96 tons, turning what could have been a quiet evasion into a high-profile bust.
Wang paid the steepest price: 12 years in prison and a 1 million yuan fine, equivalent to about $142,000. His 26 accomplices weren't let off lightly either, facing sentences from four months to five years, plus fines tailored to the volume they handled. The Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court didn't mince words in its statement, painting a picture of coordinated evasion that Beijing is determined to stamp out.

