During an anti-smuggling operation yesterday (September 10), Customs officers seized a large quantity of smuggled fur, worth about $37 million, inside two loaded containers, which were declared to have contained cow hide destined for mainland.
According to intelligence analysis, Customs officers of the Special Task Force targeted a container yard located in New Territories which was believed to have been involved with mainland-Hong Kong smuggling activities.
Believing that someone has used exporting cow hide to mainland in disguise for smuggling fur, Customs officers, on September 9, discovered that two suspicious loaded containers were towed from the container yard to the Cha Kwo Ling Public Cargo Working Area for subsequently being loaded on board a river trading vessel.
At noon of September 10, Customs officers of the Special Task Force and the Marine Enforcement Group intercepted the river trading vessel for a search whilst it was heading for mainland off Tung Lung Chau.
After examination, Customs Officers found unmanifested goods including 86,950 pieces of marten fur and 1,590 pieces of fox fur inside two loaded containers on board the vessel.
The eight mainland crewmen of the vessel have been released after investigation. Customs officers are following trails of the relevant cargo forwarding materials for in-depth investigation. In the afternoon today, a male and a female, owners of the goods in question, and a female cargo forwarding agent, aged between 45 and 49, were arrested.
Under the Import and Export Ordinance, smuggling is a serious offence. The maximum penalty is imprisonment for seven years and a fine of $2 million.
Ends/Saturday, September 11, 2010
