Woman arrested for cat smuggling at Lo Wu in second case in three days

Hong Kong authorities have uncovered a second suspected case of cat smuggling in three days, after a 56-year-old woman was arrested on Sunday at the Lo Wu Control Point for allegedly carrying a live cat in her backpack.

Customs officers said they intercepted the woman in the arrival hall on November 23 and, upon inspection, found a cat hidden inside her backpack.

The animal, believed to have been illegally imported, is estimated to be worth about HK$20,000. The woman was arrested, and the case has been handed over to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department for investigation.

The incident follows an earlier case on November 21, when a 61-year-old arriving male traveler was stopped at the same checkpoint. Officers seized two suspected illegally imported kittens concealed inside his handbag, also valued at roughly HK$20,000 in total.

Customs warned that importing any animal without a valid permit is illegal. Under the Rabies Regulation, anyone convicted of unlawfully importing animals, animal carcasses or animal products faces a maximum penalty of HK$50,000 and one year in prison.