Hong Kong customs seizes nearly 1,000 smuggled turtles worth HK$1 million
Two men arrested after officers find reptiles in car boot at Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge control point
Hong Kong customs officers have seized 986 smuggled live turtles worth about HK$1 million (US$127,620) from a private car attempting to leave the city, arresting the driver and a passenger.
Officers discovered the turtles hidden in seven black plastic bags in the vehicle’s boot at the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge control point on Tuesday.
A 42-year-old driver and a 50-year-old passenger were arrested, a spokesman of Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department said on Wednesday.
Both men were charged with one count of attempting to export unmanifested cargo. They were also charged separately by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department with one count of animal cruelty.
The case will be mentioned at West Kowloon Court on Thursday.
Customs said that it would continue to combat cross-boundary smuggling activities through risk assessment and intelligence-led enforcement.