Hong Kong customs seize HK$10m endangered Thailand rosewood
The haul of Dalbergia cochinchinsis, also known as Thailand rosewood is believed to be one of the city’s biggest wood-smuggling cases in recent years
Hong Kong Customs has sought help from their counterparts in Thailand and mainland China to track down smugglers behind a consignment of more than 73 tonnes of endangered high-value wood destined for Guangdong, the Post has learned.
The haul of Dalbergia cochinchinsis, also known as Thailand rosewood, was estimated to be worth about HK$10 million and one of the city’s biggest wood-smuggling cases in recent years, sources with the knowledge of the investigation said.
The consignment, declared to contain wood timber, was found in three cargo containers which arrived from Thailand in two shipments about two weeks ago, according to the Customs and Excise Department.
The Post was told that the three containers were selected for inspection last week after receiving intelligence from Thai authorities.
“Each container was packed with hundreds of wood logs which are about three metres in length each,” one source said, adding that samples were taken for examination and confirmed to be endangered rosewood.
According to the department, a total of 73.3 tonnes of the endangered wood was confiscated in the three containers. So far, no arrests have been made and the investigation is continuing.
