Hong Kong Customs yesterday (June 17) detected a suspected smuggling case using electric bicycles, lorries and a speedboat in Sha Tau Kok. A batch of suspected smuggled goods, including bird's nest and electronic products, with an estimated market value of about $27 million was seized.
Customs officers conducted an anti-smuggling operation in Sha Tau Kok last night. Some suspicious men were spotted moving cartons of goods from two lorries at an open-air car park to some electric bicycles. The goods were then transported by the electric bicycles to a speedboat at the seashore for loading via a wooden ladder. Officers then took action and the men immediately jumped onto the speedboat and fled.
During the operation, two lorries and an electric bicycle suspected to be involved in the case were detained. The batch of suspected smuggled goods, including bird's nest, electronic products and smartphones, was seized on board the lorries. After follow-up investigation, a 50-year-old man suspected to be involved with the case was arrested today (June 18).
Investigation is ongoing.
Customs stresses that it will keep up its enforcement action and will continue to fiercely combat sea smuggling activities through proactive risk management and intelligence-based enforcement strategies. Targeted anti-smuggling operations will also be mounted from time to time to land a solid blow against the activities.
Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).
Ends/Friday, June 18, 2021
