Smuggling Investigation

[Anchor Lead]

Customs authorities are investigating the owner family of Korean Air, who are accused of smuggling a large number of luxury items into the country. Investigators have obtained the testimonies of several insiders explaining how the family evaded avoided customs inspections.

[Pkg]

All freight brought by planes is subject to X-ray inspections. But items brought by the members of the Korean Air owning family were exempt from inspections. A Korean Air official said that high-ranking cargo managers personally stepped in to handle the freight of the airline's owning family. They even ordered that some of the items be excluded from X-ray examinations and contacted customs officials to ask for their cooperation. Evidence has also been found that the cargo managers controlled customs officials.

[Soundbite] Voice modified : "For example, they would meet with customs officials to ask them for cooperation and even say that this is not in violation of the anti-graft law."

Some of the freight was allegedly temporarily concealed in the lost and found center before it was brought in secretly later.

[Soundbite] Voice modified : "They can hide freight in offices they have access to."

Korean Air says it is unable to confirm the allegations, while the Korea Customs Service has denied the speculation that customs officials meddled in the matter.