(Yicai Global) April 24 -- China's customs administration detained 24.8 million items suspected of breaching intellectual property rights at its borders in 2018.

Agents took action 49,700 times and seized 47,200 batches of would-be imports and exports it believed infringed on trademarks and other rights, with the latter figure more than doubling from last year, state-owned news agency Xinhua reported, citing data from the General Administration of Customs.

China's east coast was the main problem area, where many bootleggers tried to shift counterfeit shoes, electronics and light industrial products into and out of the country, Jin Hai, an official at the administration, said at a press conference to release the figures. The number of problem goods people tried to smuggle via mail was notably higher than in the past, he added.

Law enforcement agencies in Qingdao, Tianjin, Beijing, Kunming and Dalian joined hands to crack down on fake good trade from August through the end of last year. They seized 3.1 million phony car parts, medicines and pesticides worth CNY61.1 million (USD9.1 million), and prevented the rights holders from losing as much as CNY160 million.

The administration will further clamp down on intellectual property violations to help facilitate their creation, protection, management and related services to build a fair market and good investment environment, Jin added.

Editor: James Boynton