Hong Kong customs seizes HK$63 million in contraband, arrests 3, dealing heavy blow to cross-border smuggling ring
- Electronics, delicacies among high-value products hidden in secret compartments on three containers destined for mainland China
- Customs officials intercept vessel near maritime boundary, say smugglers are exploiting strong demand on mainland for goods amid Covid-19 travel curbs
Hong Kong customs have arrested three men and confiscated HK$63 million (US$8 million) worth of contraband destined for mainland China, dealing a heavy blow to a cross-border smuggling syndicate.
The haul of electronics, delicacies such as bird’s nests and abalone along with other high-value products was found hidden in the secret compartments of three empty shipping containers last week, customs officials revealed on Friday.
Two of the containers were confiscated on board a mainland-bound cargo vessel after intelligence led officers to intercept the boat in Hong Kong waters on November 5.
The third container was seized during a raid on a Yuen Long container yard, where the gang would store modified containers, repackage their cargo and hide the goods into secret compartments before making deliveries.
The mainland-registered river trade vessel, loaded with 17 containers, was intercepted in northwestern waters of Hong Kong near the maritime boundary with the mainland at about 3am last Friday. It was bound for Wanzai port in Zhuhai.
Customs officers discovered secret compartments in two of the eight empty containers. The other nine containers carried declared merchandise.
“The secret compartments were found holding smuggled goods after removing wooden flooring,” said assistant superintendent Lui Siu-fai, of customs’ syndicate crimes investigation bureau.
Also last Friday, customs officers raided the container yard in Yuen Long where they found five modified containers which they suspected were to be used for smuggling. One of the containers was also found with hidden goods in a secret compartment.
