Seven tonnes of illegal fireworks hidden in a shipping container coming in from Guangzhou have been seized by customs officers.
The fireworks were almost enough to stage two Lunar New Year fireworks displays over Victoria Harbour.
They were bound for Taiwan, probably intended for use to celebrate the holiday, said Senior Inspector Fok Yui-keung, of the Customs and Excise Department's ports and maritime command.
'The haul is worth about $1.4 million. It is the biggest haul of fireworks ... in recent years,' he said. 'The fireworks, packed in 405 cartons, were found hidden at the centre of the container ... surrounded by more than 1,000 cartons of paper offerings in an attempt to avoid detection.'
On January 30, about 4.5 tonnes of fireworks would be used for a 20-minute display to celebrate the Lunar New Year, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department said.
Customs said the container was shipped on a mainland cargo vessel from Guangzhou and arrived in Hong Kong on Sunday morning.