Hong Kong customs seizes gold worth HK$13 million hidden in Japan-bound machine shipment

Customs officers have confiscated gold worth HK$13 million (US$1.7 million) disguised as machine parts in a Japan-bound consignment at Hong Kong’s airport, the second similar smuggling case in less than four months.

Acting Senior Inspector Felix Chow Chun-hung of customs’ syndicate crimes investigation bureau said on Thursday the haul was hidden in the transformers of 32 LCD screen separators loaded inside eight cardboard boxes.

Chow said investigations suggested the smuggling operation was designed to evade import tariffs of about 10 per cent in Japan.

He said the case showed criminals went to great lengths to conceal the precious metal in the machines to evade detection, stressing that customs would spare no efforts to combat smuggling activities.

“The seized precious metal is estimated to be worth about HK$13 million,” he said. “Smugglers could have evaded about HK$1.3 million in tariffs if the gold had been successfully smuggled into Japan.”

The consignment destined for Tokyo was selected for inspection at the airport’s cargo terminal in the early hours of July 3, according to the Customs and Excise Department.