Transit of airsoft guns and Chinese laws

[Guest caxopog]

Hi 2 all

I'm writing here, cause, actualy, i d't found any other resources about china on english

I have flight Hong-Kong - Moscow (with stop in Beijing)

In HK i've bought airsoft guns (it's toys for game "strikeball").

HK airport police allow me to transport this items by plane, but in Beijing all guns've been "arrested" by Beijing customs.

But i know about it only in Moscow, when my luggage've not arrived.

Now, aircompany (AirChina) tells me that i should fly to Beijing to get luggage back and then prove that

it's not weapons and then items'll be delivered to Moscow.

BUT some other ppl say, that strikeball is prohibited in China and strikeball guns are not allowed to transportation from China.

I have invoice from HK shop where i've bought this guns and i can print all technical data of this guns to prove, that

they are just toys with no power to harm anyone.

I can't contact their customs by myself (i d't know chinese and english skills are not enough to talk about custom topics by phone on english).

And now i'm in trap - i have to fly to beijing to get luggage back, but i d't know what should i bring to their customs (what documents)

and is it possible at all to get my luggage back.

actualy, i'm little afraid that cause of this luggage i'll even not get visa to china or i'll be arrested in airport for "weapons transportation".

If u can lay light on this situation, please, help me

Thanks

[chestnut818]

Maybe u can ask the HK shop send a fax which has the technical data of your gun...or if you can search the data online, you can print them and show this to the custom (maybe u need give them the website too)..

You just need an evidence to show, that it's really a toy... You will not be arrested in airport...trust me...

[frankwall]

Hi,

Oh that sounds like a very bad problem. I would have recommended you not to transport these items for air - its asking for trouble. Many of these items look the same their real counterparts, right down to the serial number. And with statistics from China showing the level of gun crime, the authorities are going to be suspicious about these things. I would suggest you bring the notice from the HK shop for starters, and find out if strikeball is legal. If not, it could turn into quite a bad experience.

[Erbse]

In the People's Republic of China, airsoft guns, and all forms of military fire arms, are not legal. People do, however, buy and store them illegally. Most of the games were hosted by unsanctioned and illegal means. Sales and storage of airsoft guns is also illegal in Mainland China.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_issues_in_airsoft#China

Just forget about it and just to be safe, do not set a footstep on Chinese soil in this life again.

[Guest caxopog]

Thanks for the link

Well, the bad thing in it that i have to set a footstep on Chinese soil at august this year =\

Looks like i need to go to chinese embassy in Moscow and talk with them about my situation.

if it realy so bad - maybe it'll be not clever to fly to Beijing before this situation'll be cleared.

[Erbse]

Maybe you want to talk to a lawyer who is specialised in such matters before going to the embassy.

[Guest caxopog]

i've found site of chinese customs:

http://www.customs.gov.cn

but i can't find e-mail address of customs on it

there's no email at all on english version and no email on chinese, but i use google translater for chinese version and maybe just d't found right page

if u have some min and you know chinese, please, look for email on this site.

[chestnut818]

I found a place on ur website where can ask questions online, it's on the top called 业务咨询， but seems need sign up first.

[Guest caxopog]

Guys, i'm realy sorry to bother u again, but i've tried to register on http://www.customs.gov.cn (in case to send them message through 业务咨询) but confirmation email d't come to my mailbox (i've tried google email and my ru email).

Maybe only chinese emails are allowable at this site.

But when i've tried to register chinese email, i've been forced to enter my phone number (and my russian number was shown as incorrect - looks like phone must be chinese too).

If u have some chinese emails, please, make account at this site and if confirm email comes, give me login-password for this account - i'll send message to customs.

After that u can change password on account or delete it if u want.

Looks like this customs form is my last hope to figure out what should i do =\

[abcdefg]

#5 --

Looks like i need to go to chinese embassy in Moscow and talk with them about my situation.

That is probably the best idea.