Customs seizes 7800 smuggled hairy crabs

Customs has seized at least 7,800 suspected smuggled hairy crabs in a joint operation with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) starting last month.

The authorities said some lawbreakers were using cross-border vehicles to smuggle hairy crabs without health certificates to Hong Kong amid the peak season to eat hairy crabs.

Customs seized 826 suspected smuggled hairy crabs worth about HK$49,000 at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point yesterday (Oct 18) in its latest action. 

A 52-year-old male driver was arrested, and the hairy crabs were handed over to the FEHD for follow-up investigation.

Customs said it had referred 35 cases to the Centre for Food Safety as of Wednesday, while 17 of them involved about 7,800 hairy crabs that were not covered by any health certificates. It's about 1,400 kilograms in total.

It also urges consumers to purchase hairy crabs at reputable shops with licenses. The authorities said if citizens brought hairy crabs inbound for self-consumption, they would still inspect whether the amount was reasonable.