Chinese customs officials were surprised when containers labelled "plastic flowers" turned out to contain 70 tonnes of fireworks destined for the Middle East, state media said yesterday.
The find, one of the largest of its kind, was made in the major port city of Shanghai last month, China's state-controlled Xinhua news agency reported.
In a routine check, officials opened two containers said to hold plastic flowers, only to find 3,000 boxes of fireworks instead, the agency reported.
The owner of the goods was identified and fined 90,000 yuan (US$10,800), according to the agency.
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