Five mainland Chinese arrested for stealing incense tree logs from Hong Kong’s Lamma Island

Five mainlanders who arrived in Hong Kong last Thursday for a seven-day sightseeing visit were arrested on Sunday on suspicion of stealing 40 logs of incense timber on Lamma Island, police said yesterday.

The 150kg haul, estimated to be worth about HK$1.5 million, is almost three times what police seized in four cases of illegal felling of trees on the island in the past two years.

Acting Superintendent Mak Che-hung, divisional commander of Marine South police, believes police have smashed a gang who came to Hong Kong for illegal felling of the species Aquilaria sisensis, also known as incense trees.

“One of the suspects is a 61-year-old man. We believe he is the core figure of the syndicate,” he said. Police are investigating whether he recruited the four other men, aged from 23 and 34.

He said the incense tree could be used as medicine and sell for HK$10,000 per kilogram on the mainland.

Last night, the five men were being held for questioning and none had been charged. Police said the suspects could face prosecution for theft which carries the maximum penalty of 10 years’ jail.

The arrests were made on a slope near Tai Wan Kau Tsuen at about 1.30pm on Sunday after police received a complaint from a resident.

“They were found using saws to cut the wood into small pieces during our surveillance,” Mak said. “They tried to flee on foot as our officers approached them. They were caught after a brief chase.”

He said the logs of incense timber in different sizes, weighing about 150kg, were seized on the slope.

“We believe they cut the wood into small pieces before stuffing them in rucksacks and travel bags to remove them,” he said.

He believes the consignment was bound for the mainland and police were still investigating how the suspects might have planned to smuggle it out of Hong Kong.

According to police, 58kg of incense timber was seized and three Hong Kong residents and five mainlanders arrested on Lamma Island in four cases in 2014 and last year.

Mak said there was no evidence to suggest that there was an increasing trend of illegal felling of incense trees on the island

He said police would closely monitor the situation and make appropriate enforcement action to deal with such illegal activities.