Hong Kong trio detained for fraud in gutter oil investigation
Three people arrested in investigation into firm that supplied Taiwan with lard oil as authorities consider system to track buyers of used oil
Two men and a woman were arrested for fraud yesterday in a police investigation into a trading company suspected of supplying a Taiwan firm with industrial lard oil that was labelled as fit for human consumption.
The development came as the city's health minister said officials were considering introducing a tracking mechanism for buyers of used oil.
The two men, aged 59 and 64, and the woman, 31, suspected of conspiracy to defraud, were arrested in Tsuen Wan, Tai Po and Tuen Mun, respectively. One man was taken back to trading company Globalway's office in Tai Kok Tsui in the afternoon.
Globalway's proprietor was said to be one of those arrested. The trading firm is under investigation amid suspicions it had bought lard oil - made from pork fat but intended for animal feed or industrial use - from the Po Yuen Lard Company, a manufacturer in Yuen Long, and supplied it to Taiwanese edible oil firm Chang Guann.
Chang Guann is believed to have blended the lard oil with "gutter oil" from restaurants and leather processors.