Three people who bought goods overseas to sell in China have been charged with smuggling and received severe sentences, triggering a heated discussion over whether the booming online purchasing agents industry has crossed a line.

Li Xiaohang, 30, a former flight attendant, was sentenced to 11 years in prison for buying makeup from duty-free shops in South Korea and passing the items through customs as personal belongings instead of goods "many times" between 2010 and August 2011.

The import duty on cosmetics, the most popular type of overseas purchase, is high in China.