The aircraft did not carry any weapons and had been stripped of its engine and other parts when it was discovered by officials Sunday, Commissioner of Customs and Excise Timothy Tong said Tuesday. The shipment had arrived from Ukraine and was destined for the United States.

"The department will continue investigating into the matter, but there is no sign that it involves serious crime, violence, or terrorist activities," Tong said. "So far there's no indication the shipment is connected with smuggling."

Tong refused to reveal the shipping company's name but said the incident might have been caused by "misunderstanding or a lack of time to follow correct procedures."

"From time to time, we have had shipments of strategic commodities pass through Hong Kong where shippers were negligent and did not apply for licenses, but there have been no serious cases where Hong Kong has been threatened," he said. "This [indicates] our strategic goods regulation and monitoring system is very good."

But Democratic Party lawmaker James To warned against complacency, saying he was particularly alarmed by the discovery as "Hong Kong is not known to be a hub for the transfer of such commodities."

He urged the government to fulfill its "responsibility to the international community" and look into the motive behind the shipment and background of the shipping company.

Designed in the early 1970s, the Mig-29 continues to be used by the Ukrainian Air Force and in other countries. The aircraft can reach a maximum speed of 2,450 kilometers per hour, destroy air targets at distances up to 200km and carry up to 3,500 kilograms of weapons.

This is not the first time military shipments have appeared illegally in Hong Kong. In May 2004, customs officials seized about 2,900 sub- machine guns and 25,000 unloaded magazines in transit from Malaysia to California. In March 2000, customs officials seized five armored vehicles en route to Tianjin from Italy.

Under the Import and Export Ordinance, items with potential military or nuclear uses - such as weapons, fissionable materials, nuclear reactors and supercomputers - are considered strategic commodities and must be covered by locally issued import licenses in order to pass through Hong Kong.

Persons who breach the ordinance are subject to a maximum penalty of HK$500,000 fine and two years' imprisonment.