Macau driver caught smuggling HK$10m worth of gold bars out of Hong Kong

A male driver from Macau was arrested after he was caught by Hong Kong customs smuggling HK$10 million worth of gold bars weighing about 20 kg at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. 

The driver, 34, has been charged with attempt to export unmanifested cargo and will appear at Kowloon City Court on Saturday morning, customs said. 

Based on risk assessment, customs officers intercepted an outgoing seven-seater at the Hong Kong port of the bridge on Thursday evening and seized the batch of suspected smuggled gold in a space behind the car’s glove box. 

Customs believe the gold bars will be delivered to Macau and then the mainland, adding that the investigation is ongoing. 

“Smuggling is a serious offense. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of HK$2 million and imprisonment for seven years,” customs said. 

Customs also said they will continue to take stringent enforcement actions against cross-boundary smuggling activities through risk assessment and intelligence analysis.