A 61-year-old woman was intercepted at the Lo Wu Control Point on Wednesday for attempting to smuggle 241 live birds, including 26 suspected endangered species, into Hong Kong. The total estimated market value of the birds is approximately HK$58,000.
Customs officers intercepted an incoming 61-year-old female passenger at the arrival hall of the said control point yesterday. Upon examination, the batch of live birds was seized from her personal baggage.
Officers from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) were called to the scene to inspect the animals. They confirmed that 26 of the live birds belong to endangered species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which are regulated in Hong Kong by the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance.
The case was handed over to the AFCD for follow-up investigation.
