Law enforcement agencies of Hong Kong and the Mainland, including Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department, Hong Kong Police Force, Shenzhen Customs Anti-Smuggling Bureau (ASB) and Border Defence of Guangdong Public Security Department conducted a joint anti-smuggling operation on December 16, leading to the neutralisation of a smuggling syndicate which had made use of underground drain pipes and flood drainage to smuggle goods across the boundary into the Mainland.
In the operation, the two sides arrested a total of 11 people, aged from 19 to 58. Electronic products, including digital cameras, mobile phone motherboards, notebook computer hard drives, computer memory and micro memory cards, worth about HK$1.8 million, were seized.
Through effective intelligence exchange and close co-ordination, Hong Kong Customs and Shenzhen Customs ASB spotted a smuggling syndicate that had made use of underground drain pipes on the Hong Kong side and flood drainage on the Shenzhen side to smuggle goods into the Mainland.
The syndicate conveyed specially packed electronic goods out of the boundary fence of Hong Kong through an underground water pipe of about 45 centimetres in diameter and 10-metre-long.
Illegal immigrants from the Mainland collected and carried goods in backpacks to the Shenzhen River via a small path along the bushes on the Hong Kong side. Smuggled goods would eventually be moved into the flood drainage in Shenzhen and collected at the exit points of the flood drainage at the ground level.
Keeping track of the operational points of the smuggling syndicate, the Shenzhen and Hong Kong law enforcement agencies conducted a joint operation and successfully neutralised the entire smuggling ring.
During the operation, the Shenzhen ASB seized a large quantity of smuggled goods, including digital cameras, mobile phone motherboards, computer memory and the micro memory cards inside the flood drainage. The seizure was worth about HK$1.2 million in total. They also arrested five male Mainlanders, aged 20 to 42, including the mastermind.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong Customs and Hong Kong Police Force arrested a male Mainlander at the bush area near the Lin Ma Hang boundary fence. A warehouse at Man Kam To and a domestic unit in Fanling were also raided by Customs officers.
As a result, a total of six people aged 19 to 58 were arrested, including three men and three women. Of them, four were Mainlanders and the remaining were local people. A man and a woman were overstayers.
Besides, 4,380 mobile phone motherboards, 35 computer hard drives and 1,156 pieces of computer memory were seized. A light goods vehicle was impounded. The total seizure was worth about HK$0.6 million.
The encouraging results of this parallel operation are testimony to the effective intelligence exchange and excellent co-ordination among the four law enforcement agencies of Hong Kong and the Mainland.
The Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department will continue to work closely with the Hong Kong Police Force and other law enforcement agencies in the Mainland to deter cross-boundary smuggling activities.
Ends/Thursday, December 18, 2008
