Customs announced on Thursday the seizure of an estimated HK$230 million in gold and silver bound for Japan—its largest-ever smuggling case of precious metals.
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The seizure followed inspections on Monday(Mar 2) at Hong Kong International Airport, during which customs officers targeted two air cargo shipments bound for Japan based on risk assessment and intelligence analysis.
After conducting an X-ray scan of 138 boxes declared to contain 4,680 ultraviolet cleaning machines and multi-functional cleaners, officers detected abnormal density inconsistencies that did not align with the reported devices.
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Upon closer examination, officers found metal plates glued to the cleaning machines' base, with 168 kilograms of suspected gold foil and 285 kilograms of suspected silver foil embedded inside.
Citing rising prices in the precious metals market, authorities believe the shipment was divided across two flights to Japan to minimize detection and avoid approximately HK$23 million in taxes.
It was discovered that the cleaning machines were made in China, while the sender—the same company for both shipments—is suspected to be a shell firm with no Hong Kong registration or online trace.
Meanwhile, the consignees are two Japanese companies involved in sporting goods and e-commerce logistics.
Investigations into the source of the metals and the identities of both the sender and recipients is ongoing, and arrests have not been ruled out.
Customs officers described the concealment method as sophisticated and carefully designed, but the costly air freight of cleaning machines valued at under HK$100 each raised red flags—ultimately leading to the discovery.
The department stressed that smuggling is a serious offense, warning that anyone found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo faces a maximum fine of HK$2 million and up to seven years' imprisonment.
