Hong Kong triads suspected of using speedboats to smuggle up to 1,000 tonnes of frozen meat to mainland China each day
- As many as 80 speedboats seen picking up frozen meat every night for delivery to mainland
- Shortage of imported meat the result of Beijing’s restrictions on some countries, sources say
Gangs controlled by Hong Kong triads are believed to be behind a massive smuggling operation delivering more than 1,000 tonnes of frozen meat a day to mainland China, the Post has learned.
Using dozens of high-powered speedboats, they cross into Hong Kong waters, pick up the contraband and race to delivery points just minutes away on the mainland. Many make several trips a night.
In the first six months of this year, Hong Kong authorities seized 138 tonnes of smuggled meat worth HK$21 million (US$2.7 million). They confiscated 3,344 tonnes worth HK$149 million over the whole of last year.
Between January and June this year, customs officers stopped about 20 speedboats and arrested nearly 40 people, mostly mainlanders.
According to law enforcement sources, the smuggling gangs are believed to be controlled by the city‘s three major triads – Sun Yee On, 14K and Wo Shing Wo – known to be active in drug trafficking, extortion, bookmaking and illegal moneylending.
The smuggled frozen meat includes beef, offal, pork knuckles, chicken wings and chicken feet from countries such as Argentina, Australia, Brazil, India, Poland, the United States, Britain and Ukraine.