Hong Kong customs seizes HK$150 million worth of electronic components bound for Malaysia
- Case follows six previous Malaysia-bound shipments between April and July, bringing total value of such contraband seized to HK$460 million
Hong Kong customs has confiscated HK$150 million (US$19.3 million) worth of electronic components in a seaborne shipment bound for Malaysia – the seventh smuggling case of this kind over the past four months.
A source familiar with the case said on Tuesday that customs officers intercepted the other six Malaysia-bound shipments of contraband products worth a total of HK$310 million between April and July, bringing the total to HK$460 million.
The latest seizure was discovered on Tuesday when a cargo container declared to be carrying zinc flakes was selected for inspection at a Kwai Chung shipping terminal, according to the Customs and Excise Department.
Inspector Davis Kwok Chun-ting of customs’ syndicate crimes investigation bureau said the declared weight of the shipment was about 30 to 40 per cent lighter than a similar cargo of zinc product, which caught their attention.
The container was taken to the Kwai Chung cargo examination compound for inspection after X-rays showed suspicious images.
Kwok said they confiscated 82 million electronic goods, including integrated circuits, motherboards, capacitors and some second-hand electronic parts - but found no zinc flakes in the container.
He added no concealment methods were used to hide the smuggled goods in this case, and criminals blatantly used false cargo declarations to misrepresent their activity.