HK$60m of contraband electronics seized from ship on Pearl River Delta

Customs officers made their biggest seizure in five years from a commercial vessel in the Pearl River Delta after finding HK$60 million in contraband goods.

The haul included branded electronics and endangeredspecies products used in traditional Chinese medicine on which the smugglers were seeking to evade more than HK$14 million in duties.

Acting on intelligence, officers intercepted the ship, known as a river trade vessel, shortly after it set off from Black Point in Tuen Mun for Humen in Guangdong on Thursday. They escorted the vessel to the River Trade Terminal in Tuen Mun, where X-rays revealed illicit goods hidden in three containers on board.

No arrests were made, as initial investigations showed that neither the vessel's owner nor the seven other people on board were involved in the crime, officers said.

"This case involves different types of products, from electronic goods such as tablet computers, integrated circuits and hard disks to endangered-species parts that are used mainly in Chinese medicine," said Lam Yau-tak, divisional commander for special investigations of the Customs and Excise Department's Syndicate Crimes Investigation Bureau.

Despite the size of the haul, Lam said the department had not seen a rising trend of smuggling.