Customs seizes suspected smuggled goods in Tuen Mun worth about HK$25m

Hong Kong Customs announced on Monday that they seized suspected smuggled items with an estimated market value of about HK$25 million in Tuen Mun on Saturday. They also detained a fishing boat used in the smuggling operation.

Last Saturday (Mar 22), during an anti-smuggling operation in Tuen Mun, customs officers noticed a fishing boat moored at the shore. They observed several individuals transferring boxes of goods onto the boat's deck.

As the boat departed from the shore, customs continued to monitor its movement. They suspected that the boat could leave Hong Kong via the Western Waters and immediately intercepted it.

As the boat was preparing to leave Hong Kong waters, customs patrol boats swiftly pursued and ultimately intercepted it around the Tai O waters. Officers boarded the ship to conduct an investigation.

Upon boarding, customs officers found the crew on the boat and requested the captain to provide a cargo list. The captain was unable to provide any documentation, prompting the officers to search the ship. They discovered a cluttered cabin and, upon clearing the items, found a hidden pathway leading to the lower levels of the cabin. Further search revealed a compartment concealed by wooden boards, where goods not listed on the cargo list, including dried shark fins, electronic products, and cigars, were found.

The four crew members were arrested on the spot, and the case was handed over to the Customs Syndicate Crimes Investigation Bureau for further investigation.

Preliminary investigations suggest that criminal syndicates hired the crew and used the fishing boat as a disguise to smuggle goods back to the mainland.

Customs officials noted that the ship had been modified to create a hidden compartment, and it will be inspected by a qualified surveyor.

The smuggled items included dried shark fins, electronic products, and cigars. Customs highlighted that the smuggling of dried shark fins is driven by high demand for this expensive delicacy on the mainland. Legally exporting regulated dried shark fins requires specific export permits, which the criminals bypassed, risking evasion of taxes. If successfully smuggled into the mainland, these items could have avoided approximately HK$3 million in taxes.

The arrested individuals, aged between 31 and 53, include the captain, chief engineer, and two crew members. They are currently detained for investigation and will later be charged with attempting to export unmanifested cargo.

The case will be presented at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Court tomorrow (Mar 25).