So I've had a more indepth conversation with some Chinese people about this article. 

It's really interesting for a few reasons.

You see, China is trying to stop money from leaving their country. 

So they limit the amount of money that can be transferred out of the country to 50k per year per person.

One of the ways Chinese people get around this limit is by transferring gold. 

So these were likely middle class Chinese people who basically crossed the Border and got their life's savings taken. 

What I thought was funny is in the article they put "Play" in quotes. 

As if they were going to strip clubs or to do drugs. 

But that's because they used a translator app. They would have said something like. 

我们去了那儿玩儿一点儿

玩  or 玩儿 translates as play but in this scenario it really means to have fun.

So, "we just went for fun." Is what they meant. But the translator said play and in English that gives a hint of naughtiness. 

I bet they weren't doing any thing wrong. Probably planned to use that money to open a restaurant and send money back home. 

If there was a way for them to buy Bitcoin with cash in China that would have been better moving gold bars around. 

They have the great firewall though.  

 Tragic and basic police malfeasance.

I am sure there is a way to buy BTC for yuan in China. They have a freer market than the west.