Hong Kong customs seizes HK$5 million in smuggled gold as cases double from last year
Officers have seized about 240kg of gold being smuggled in and out of the city so far this year with a total estimated value of HK$74 million
Hong Kong customs has intercepted twice as much smuggled gold this year compared with the whole of last year.
From January to September, officers foiled 21 smuggling cases and seized about 240kg of gold with a total estimated value of HK$74 million.
Last year about 120kg of gold was seized in six separate cases, totalling an estimated HK$38 million.
Hong Kong customs officers detect rising trend of gold and silver bars being smuggled from mainland China
There were no reports of such incidents in 2015.
On Monday night, a man, 55, was arrested by customs after he was found to have brought 15 bars of undeclared gold worth about HK$5 million across the border checkpoint at Lok Ma Chau.
Officers found the 15kg haul in the man’s car during an inspection.
An investigation is under way.
