A 52-year-old man was sentenced to 48 months' imprisonment today (February 28) at the District Court after an earlier conviction for conspiring to smuggle and illegally possessing pangolin scales, in contravention of the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance.
In December 2018, officers from Hong Kong Customs inspected a batch of air consignment arriving from Malaysia at Hong Kong International Airport and found about 240 kilograms of pangolin scales therein. After a follow-up investigation, about 200kg of pangolin scales were further seized in January 2019. The man connected with the case was subsequently arrested.
Customs welcomes the ruling. The sentence of imprisonment has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the infringing offence related with endangered species.
Under the Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing, exporting, or possessing any endangered species without a required licence is liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for 10 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) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).
Ends/Wednesday, February 28, 2024