Hong Kong customs seizes more than 3 tonnes of hairy crabs worth HK$2.3 million smuggled from mainland China
- Haul was found in truck at Man Kam To border crossing on Tuesday, customs reveals
- Driver of vehicle arriving from mainland China has been arrested in connection with case
Hong Kong customs officers have seized 3.4 tonnes of hairy crabs worth about HK$2.3 million (US$293,970) being smuggled into the city in a truck arriving from mainland China.
The Customs and Excise Department on Thursday said the haul was found when the Hong Kong-bound truck was being inspected at the Man Kam To border crossing on Tuesday.
“Upon inspection, the batch of suspected unmanifested hairy crabs was found mix-loaded with other properly declared goods on board the vehicle,” the department said.
A 49-year-old man, who was driving the vehicle, was arrested in connection with the case.
The confiscated crabs did not come with health certificates issued by the relevant authorities and failed to comply with permit requirements, the department said.
Last month, customs officers seized 48,000 hairy crabs valued at about HK$7.2 million, the department’s largest haul of the seasonal delicacies on record, and arrested a cross-border truck driver.
The 10.8-tonne haul was discovered on October 22, when they intercepted the truck at the Lok Ma Chau border checkpoint.
Hairy crab season typically runs from September to December. The crustacean is native to East Asian waters and considered a delicacy for its fragrant roe.
In Hong Kong, importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is punishable by up to seven years in jail and a HK$2 million fine.
Customs reminded traders “not to import or put on sale hairy crabs with an unknown origin, and consumers should make purchases at reputable shops with the Shell Fish (Hairy Crab) Permit or relevant written permission granted by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department”.
Since 2018, importers of hairy crabs have been required to apply for a special permit after the crustaceans were found to have almost twice the accepted levels of dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls, known carcinogens that can also damage the reproductive and immune systems.
