Hong Kong police probe container shipment from US after copper worth HK$3.6 million is stolen
The metal blocks, part of a 2,000-tonne order, had been replaced with sand and stones
Hong Kong police are investigating whether copper blocks worth HK$74 million were stolen from more than 100 shipping containers that arrived from the United States.
The probe began after an inspection revealed that copper blocks worth about HK$3.6 million had been stolen from five of the containers and replaced with sand and stones.
The case came to light after the owner of the cargo – a US company – was told a damaged seal was found on one of the containers – it then sent an assessment supervisor to the city to inspect the shipment.
Initial investigation showed the company purchased about 2,000 tonnes of copper blocks worth HK$74.1 million from a metal trading company last August, a source with knowledge of the investigation said.
The consignment was understood to have been packed in 102 shipping containers that were shipped to Hong Kong through three logistics companies in September.
According to police, one of the logistic companies alerted the owner late last year after finding a damaged seal on one of the containers. The owner sent its risk assessment supervisor to Hong Kong to check the consignment earlier this month.
It is understood that part of the shipment was stored in a logistics centre on Container Port Road South in Kwai Chung.
“During a random inspection, five of the containers were open and sand and stones spilled out from the containers, but no copper blocks were found inside,” the source said.
Hong Kong police were alerted by the 45-year-old supervisor on Wednesday afternoon.
Officers were told that the cargo owner had been unable to contact the metal trading company this month.
Police have temporarily classified the case as deception and detectives from Kwai Tsing district crime squad are investigating.
“We will have to track down the containers and check whether all are in Hong Kong and then inspect them one by one,” another police source said. It is understood officers will have to follow the requirements under an insurance policy when they open the containers.
The source said police would investigate the routing of the shipment and look into whether the goods were stolen before they arrived in the city.
A police spokesman said no one had been arrested and the investigation was continuing.
