Man arrested at Hong Kong airport with HK$620,000 worth of rhino horn

A man was arrested at Hong Kong airport on Sunday for trying to smuggle HK$620,000 (US$79,000) worth of rhino horn pieces into the city.

The 3.1kg of suspected endangered rhino horn was discovered in the 21-year-old man’s checked luggage. The man, who officials said was from Africa, had arrived from Beira, Mozambique via Johannesburg, South Africa, and Doha, Qatar.

“During customs clearance, the batch of suspected rhino horn cut pieces was found inside a black plastic bag in his check-in suitcase,” the Customs and Excise Department said.

After the find, the man was arrested.

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The department said it handed the case to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.

It was the second seizure of rhino horn at the city’s airport in two weeks.

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On June 6, customs officers at the airport arrested a 40-year-old man from Johannesburg with 5.9kg of rhino horn and 410 grams of ivory, which together had an estimated street value of HK$1.2 million.

Importing or exporting parts of an animal from an endangered species without a licence carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a HK$10 million fine.