Hong Kong Customs on July 3 detected a suspected gold-smuggling case involving air cargo and seized about 22 kilograms of suspected gold with an estimated market value of about $13 million at Hong Kong International Airport.
Based on risk assessment, Customs on that day examined an outbound air cargo consignment, declared as carrying screen separators departing for Japan, at the Customs Cargo Examination Compound at the airport. Upon inspection, Customs officers found a batch of suspected smuggled gold, which was moulded and camouflaged as transformer parts, concealed in the transformers of screen separators.
An investigation is still ongoing.
Customs will continue to take stringent enforcement actions against all kinds of smuggling activities through risk assessment and intelligence analysis.
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) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
Ends/Thursday, July 11, 2024
