Hong Kong customs officers seize 3.3 tonnes of protected guitarfish fins worth HK$4.6 million
- The massive haul was hidden inside a shipping container that arrived last week from Africa
- The fins were worth about HK$1,400 per kilogram at local markets, a source said, more than double the value of previously seized shark fins
Hong Kong customs officers have made a rare bust involving the dried fins of guitarfish – a protected, sharklike species of ray – seizing 3.3 tonnes worth an estimated HK$4.6 million (US$593,000) from a shipping container arriving from Africa.
A law enforcement source confirmed the fins discovered on Monday were believed to have come from guitarfish, which are endangered and have a distinctive tail and fins that can be reminiscent of a shark.
“It is the first time such a large volume of this type of dried fins was found in Hong Kong,” he said.
The source said it was worth about HK$1,400 per kilogram on the local market, more than double the value of previously seized shark fins.
According to the Customs and Excise Department, the container, declared to have been carrying seafood, was shipped into the city from Guinea last week, then selected for inspection via normal risk-assessment techniques.
More than 160 bags of dried fins were discovered when the container was opened for inspection at the Kwai Chung Customhouse Cargo Examination Compound.