Hong Kong customs arrests company director over smuggled goods worth HK$12 million, uncovers 13 tonnes of e-waste
- Officers seize e-waste worth HK$4 million comprising computer motherboards, display cards and other components
- TV set-top boxes and vehicle parts were also discovered in Malaysia-bound shipment
Hong Kong customs officers have arrested the director of a logistics company in the city after discovering HK$12 million (US$1.5 million) worth of smuggled goods, including 13 tonnes of electronic waste, in a Malaysia-bound seaborne shipment.
E-waste worth HK$4 million comprising computer motherboards, display cards and other components was seized along with HK$8 million worth of TV set-top boxes and vehicle parts in two shipping containers at a Kwai Chung cargo terminal last week, the Customs and Excise Department on Monday said.
Inspector Lai Siu-ming of customs’ syndicate crimes investigation bureau said the shipment was declared to contain aluminium alloy and was destined for Malaysia.
The two containers were selected for checking before being loaded onto a Malaysia-bound ship at a Kwai Chung terminal on Tuesday last week, and they were opened for further inspection after suspicious images were detected in an X-ray examination, he said.
Lai added 13 tonnes of electronic waste was found along with 1,600 TV set-top boxes and 1,800 vehicle parts in the two containers. “The haul has an estimated value of HK$12 million,” he said.
As the set-top boxes could be used to watch pay TV and movie channels for free, he said they would look into whether it involved illegal activity.
In another search carried out in the office of a logistics company in Sheung Wan last Wednesday, customs officers arrested a 57-year-old woman who was the director of the company. The firm was the consignor of the shipment. She has been released on bail pending further investigation.
Lai said the investigation was ongoing and further arrests were possible.
In Hong Kong, exporting unmanifested cargo is punishable by up to seven years in jail and a HK$2 million fine under the Import and Export Ordinance.
Lai said the maximum penalty under the Waste Disposal Ordinance for exporting electronic waste without a permit was six months in prison and a HK$200,000 fine for a first offence.
He also urged members of the public to report any suspected smuggling activity to the department’s 24-hour hotline at 2545 6182.
