TWO Fujian Province men who had illegally traveled to Japan were seized by local police on Tuesday noon after sneaking off a container vessel to avoid port inspection and return to the country.
　　
　　Two Chinese sailors on board the Hong Kong-registered container ship, Yi Wang, who allegedly received money to cover up the stowaways, were detained as well, the port immigration police said yesterday.
　　
　　It's the first case in recent years in which crew members of an overseas vessel helped Chinese natives to sneak back to the country, Waigaoqiao Port immigration police said yesterday.
　　
　　The two suspects, He Sheying and Liu Jifang, and a sailor, Mou Chunyan, were stopped by patrol officers who saw the nervous trio leave the ship in a hurry.
　　
　　He and Liu failed to show identification papers. He allegedly confessed to the scam quickly on the scene.
　　
　　Police later boarded the vessel and detained another sailor, Xu Lianming.
　　
　　He allegedly snuck into Osaka last September at the cost of 170,000 yuan (US$24,277).
　　
　　He was rushing back to China to visit his cancer-stricken wife when he was caught.
　　
　　Shanghai Water Police Bureau has taken over investigation of the stowaway case.