Hong Kong customs seizes HK$1.2 billion worth of products in marine crackdown, biggest-ever haul in 112-year history

Designer handbags, electronic goods and endangered species products among haul massive enough to fill multilevel department store

Move part of an ongoing crackdown on sea smuggling after death of police officer last month in similar operation

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The extensive haul uncovered by customs could fill a multilevel department store. Photo: Felix Wong

Published: 2:15pm, 29 Oct 2021Updated: 11:34pm, 29 Oct 2021

Hong Kong customs has seized HK$1.2 billion (US$154.3 million) worth of contraband products, the biggest haul in its 112-year history, intercepting the goods in 24 shipping containers on a vessel bound for mainland China.

The record bust marked another milestone in a continuing crackdown on rampant sea smuggling, following the recent death of a senior police inspector in a speedboat chase that put the focus on how criminals have taken to transporting contraband goods on cargo vessels.

The massive haul of high-value goods – ranging from dried seafood and products made from endangered species to luxury handbags and electronic gadgets – was valued well above the HK$1.08 billion worth of contraband customs officers seized in 211 sea smuggling cases in 2019 and 2020.

In the first 10 months of this year alone, customs has seized HK$2.07 billion worth of such goods in 81 cases.

The latest consignment was large enough to fill a multilevel department store, a law enforcement source said. If sold at its intended destination on the mainland, it could earn sellers more than HK$3 billion.

Two Hongkongers were arrested in connection with the massive seizure, made about a fortnight ago.