26 Dec 2013

Tunnel to Hong Kong found

7:23 am on 26 December 2013

A smugglers' tunnel has been found running from the mainland of China to Hong Kong.

Complete with concrete walls and interior lighting, it started under a garage near the city of Shenzhen and stretched for 40 metres under a river and into reed-beds in Hong Kong.

The tunnel was discovered last week in Changling village on the outskirts of Shenzhen, after a resident reportedly complained about drilling noises that she assumed were part of a renovation project.

Officials described the tunnel as a professional job, which cost an estimated $US500,000 to build.

The BBC reports the tunnel was destroyed on Tuesday and a man is under arrest.

Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous zone, has different tariffs to the mainland.