Customs officers yesterday (February 19) uncovered about $1.1 million worth of unmanifested goods including American ginseng and canned fruit cocktail with the assistance of the X-ray Vehicle Scanning System.
About 12.30pm, Customs officers of Sha Tau Kok Control Point intercepted a departing container truck declared to be carrying canned ketchup.
With the assistance of the X-ray system, the officers suspected that there were goods camouflaged by cartons of ketchup as the X-ray image revealed various shapes of goods inside the container.
After thorough examination of the container, Customs officers found unmanifested goods of 3,145 kilograms of American ginseng and 10,800 cans of fruit cocktail, worth $1,105,500.
A 51-year-old local male driver was arrested. He is now on bail pending further Customs investigations.
Under the Import and Export Ordinance, smuggling is a serious offence. The maximum penalty is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
Ends/Wednesday, February 20, 2008
