Bold gangs take advantage of Hong Kong protests and stretched police resources to smuggle more luxury goods between city and mainland China

Officers believe one syndicate uses speedboats to smuggle electronic products across the border on a daily basis

There are fewer patrols and anti-smuggling operations by marine police, whose resources have been drafted in to deal with protests, sources say

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Smugglers use speedboats for the short trip between Hong Kong and the mainland. Photo: Nora Tam

Published: 7:00am, 28 Oct 2019Updated: 11:12am, 28 Oct 2019

Smugglers are taking advantage of anti-government protests in Hong Kong to traffic luxury goods between the city and mainland China over water, while police attention is focused on the increasing civil unrest on land, the Post has learned.

Officers believe one of the syndicates, headed by a well-known triad gangster, uses speedboats to smuggle electronic products across the border on a daily basis, sources said.

According to the sources, gangs had been emboldened as there were fewer patrols and anti-smuggling operations by marine police, whose resources had been drafted in to deal with violent anti-government protests in the city that have rocked the city for months.

Describing the syndicate as well-organised, one source said: “It runs a one-stop service that includes the purchase of electronic products as well as cross-border delivery.”

From Lau Fau Shan, speedboats can leave Hong Kong waters in a matter of minutes. Photo: Martin Chan

The operation aims to avoid import restrictions and hefty mainland Chinese taxes, which account for up to 45 per cent of the cost of the goods.