Driver arrested for smuggling HK$2m worth of goods out of Hong Kong

A 44-year-old driver was arrested after he was caught by customs smuggling some HK$2 million worth of goods including dried fish maws, tobacco and pharmaceutical products on Thursday. 

Based on risk assessment, customs intercepted the outbound medium goods vehicle at the Hong Kong port of the HK-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and found a batch of suspected smuggled goods. 

The batch of smuggled goods included about 25 kg of dried fish maws, about 127 kg of tobacco products and about 3,500 boxes of pharmaceutical products, with a total estimated market value of about HK$2 million. 

The male driver was subsequently arrested and charged with one count of attempting to export unmanifested cargo. He will appear at Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (Sat). 

Customs said it will continue to combat cross-boundary smuggling activities with firm enforcement action based on risk assessment and intelligence analysis. 

It also warned that smuggling is a serious offense. Offenders found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo could face a maximum fine of HK$2 million and seven-year imprisonment.