Man faces at least 4 years behind bars in Hong Kong after being convicted of smuggling scales of endangered pangolins
- Hong Endian, 52, told by judge ‘only and irresistible inference’ was that he had colluded with others to bring the scales of endangered species to city
- But co-accused Huang Congmei found not guilty after court accepts she was unaware of the criminal nature of her actions
A jobless man faces at least four years in jail after he was found guilty of smuggling 440kg (970lbs) of scales from endangered pangolins into Hong Kong, the biggest bust for which a conviction has been secured.
Hong Endian was warned by a District Court judge on Thursday that he faced a long prison term for bringing in the scales from rare pangolins, also known as “scaly anteaters”, said by government experts to have involved the deaths of 1,220 of the animals.
“The prosecution provided sufficient circumstantial evidence to satisfy the requirements of the case,” Judge Clement Lee Hing-nin said.
He added that, because of the large quantity involved, he would consider a penalty of “not less than four years” in prison.
Experts from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said the scales had an estimated value of between US$68,200 and US$220,440.