A Hong Kong television program has uncovered a massive seafood smuggling operation from mainland China to local restaurants, with a major sushi chain issuing a strong denial after being implicated in the report.
The investigative program "Scoop" tracked how parallel traders illegally transport uninspected seafood across the border daily using an "ants moving home" tactics - dividing goods into small batches carried by multiple individuals.
Footage showed smugglers using taxis as transport vehicles after crossing into Hong Kong, with some drivers revealing this operation has continued for nearly a year. The seafood, including sashimi, sushi, geoduck and lobster, was often handled poorly with polystyrene boxes stacked on the ground and exposed outdoors.
Sushiro HK issued a formal statement strongly protesting the program's "inaccurate reporting containing speculative content based on one-sided information." The company denied using smuggled ingredients and announced plans to take legal action against what it described as "indirect defamation."
The sushi chain clarified that all ingredients strictly follow Centre for Food Safety regulations and quality control measures. Regarding the polystyrene boxes shown in the report, Sushiro HK stated they were discarded materials that had been "collected without consent for other purposes."
The company confirmed that all ingredients are delivered through designated professional logistics companies and that the individuals photographed were not employees of Sushiro or its logistics partners. The specific product "spotted salmon" mentioned had completed all customs clearance procedures and inspections.
Sushiro HK said it had reminded staff months ago to handle discarded restaurant waste carefully to avoid misunderstandings.
The program documented goods being transported from Fanling to various districts across Hong Kong, eventually reaching wet markets, restaurants and directly to customers. Smugglers reportedly earn HK$50-60 for carrying 10-20 kilograms of goods, increasing to HK$100 for 30 kilograms.
Further investigation into the distribution network will air tomorrow, including confrontations between the program's crew and smugglers.
