Hong Kong Customs on September 13 seized eight platinum slabs, weighing about 41 kilograms in total, with an estimated market value of about $10 million, at the Man Kam To Control Point. This is the largest platinum-smuggling case detected by Customs on record in terms of the seizure weight and value.
Based on risk assessment, Customs on that day intercepted an outbound goods vehicle declared to be empty at the Man Kam To Control Point for inspection. Upon examination, Customs officers seized the batch of suspected smuggled platinum in the empty space of the vehicle's battery compartment. The 48-year-old male driver was subsequently arrested.
An investigation is ongoing.
Customs will continue to take stringent enforcement actions against cross-boundary 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, September 19, 2024
