Marine police bust smuggling of shark fins and tablets worth HK$2.1m

Marine police announced on Friday that they had discovered a smuggling case at Chi Ma Wan Peninsula and seized HK$2.1 million worth of shark fins and tablets.

The Marine Police Regional Task Force, the Marine Police Small Boat Division, and the Marine South Division, together with officers from the Customs Marine Enforcement Group, conducted an anti-illegal immigration and anti-smuggling operation in the Chi Ma Wan Peninsula area early this morning.

After an in-depth investigation and intelligence analysis, officers suspected that criminals have recently been conducting smuggling activities in the Chi Ma Wan area of South Lantau Island.

During the operation, officers discovered two suspicious speedboats without navigation lights approaching the beach near Chi Ma Wan, a sedan could also be seen approaching the scene at the same time.

There was a total of 13 men moving goods from the car to the two suspicious speedboats.

The officers immediately took action, with one of the suspects fleeing the scene in the sedan.

The remaining 12 jumped on the two speedboats and fled towards Cheung Chau at high speed.

Marine police officers immediately launched a pursuit, but the two speedboats eventually fled to the southern waters of Hong Kong and headed for the mainland.

During the operation, officers seized a total of 16 boxes of suspected smuggled shark fins and tablets, with a total market value of approximately HK$2.1 million.

The case has been handed over to relevant departments for follow-up, and*no arrests have yet been made.

The police spokesman stressed that smuggling is a crime and 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.