Covid-19 pandemic forces endangered species smugglers into using cargo shipments, resulting in Hong Kong seizing HK$149 million worth of goods
- Monetary value of seizures is already 12 per cent higher this year than for the whole of 2019 as cargo shipments usually carry larger volumes of illicit goods
- But wildlife smuggling cases detected at passenger channels at local control points dropped dramatically
Coronavirus-related travel restrictions have forced smugglers to use cargo shipments over human couriers, resulting in Hong Kong logging a 12 per cent rise in the amount of seized endangered species this year, valued at HK$149 million (US$19 million).
Law enforcement sources said the monetary value of the seizures rose because cargo shipments usually carried larger volumes of endangered species, while customs officers also seized more high-value products this year.
On the other hand, the number of endangered wildlife smuggling cases detected at passenger channels of local control points dropped dramatically this year amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Up to November 11 this year, reports of smuggling involving passenger channels decreased to 29 per cent of cases, or 72, from 66 per cent or 433 cases in the whole of 2019.
Customs officers confiscated endangered species worth HK$133 million last year and HK$73 million in 2018.
But the total number of wildlife smuggling cases dropped to 250 so far this year from 659 in 2019. There were 745 such cases in 2018.