HK$22 million in endangered species items, from shark fins to live star tortoises, seized in Hong Kong operation against wildlife smuggling
- Customs and Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department launched joint operation that spanned month of May
- Other suspected endangered species seized included ginseng, dried seahorses and orchids
Hong Kong authorities have seized HK$22 million (US$2.8 million) worth of contraband items ranging from dried shark fins to live star tortoises in a month-long crackdown against the smuggling of endangered wildlife.
Assistant Superintendent Cheung Ka-chung of customs’ air cargo group on Friday said authorities cracked 24 smuggling cases involving endangered species at various control points, including the airport, in the May operation that also led to the arrests of 14 people.
In one of the cases, customs officers seized more than five tonnes of dried shark fins from suspected endangered species with an estimated value of HK$21 million, he said.
Cheung added that the fins were found stashed in two shipping containers delivered to the city from Macau on May 4.
Officers also seized four protected star tortoises in a parcel airmailed into the city from Malaysia on May 25. The live animals were estimated to be worth HK$36,000.
Other suspected endangered species seized in the operation, code-named “Shepherd”, included ginseng, dried seahorses and orchids.
According to the Customs and Excise Department, the operation was jointly mounted with officers from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department in response to a rising trend in the smuggling of endangered species.
Figures show customs cracked 175 smuggling cases involving endangered species in the first five months of the year, accounting for 60 per cent of the 291 cases logged in the whole of 2022.
Cheung said the number of cases dropped from 659 in 2019 to an average annual figure of some 300 in the past three years because of a dramatic decrease in air, sea and land travel during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said authorities noticed a rising trend of smuggling of endangered species this year following the resumption of normal travel amid eased Covid curbs.
2 Hong Kong men arrested for allegedly smuggling endangered species products
Cheung warned the public not to bring endangered species products into or out of the city without a valid licence. He added that frontline officers would continue to remain vigilant at control points and enhance intelligence collection to combat such activities.
“The joint operation was a great success,” he said. “It is also a vivid demonstration of how the two departments’ close co-operation effectively targets the activities of endangered species smuggling.”
In Hong Kong, importing, possessing or exporting endangered species without a permit carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail and a HK$10 million fine.
According to customs, smuggling is a serious offence and those found importing and exporting unmanifested cargo face a maximum penalty of seven years behind bars and a HK$2 million fine.
Hong Kong customs arrests 5 men, seizes HK$200 million worth of contraband
In March, customs took action in two cases of protected wood smuggling involving outbound passengers at the Shenzhen Bay Port. In the cases on March 12 and 13, officers arrested two men aged 32 and 38 after finding 13.2kg (29lbs) of protected agarwood worth HK$1.06 million in their backpacks.
On March 9, customs officers at the airport’s cargo terminal seized HK$300,000 worth of fish maws and dried shark fin found in two consignments mailed from Bangladesh. After a follow-up investigation, they arrested two men, aged 31 and 33, in Sheung Shui and Sheung Wan on March 10 and 11.
They also seized 1.2 tonnes of dried shark fin found in an air consignment from Mexico on February 17. The haul had an estimated street value of HK$40 million.
