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Hong Kong Customs and the Marine Police today (November 20) smashed a speedboat smuggling case on the seashore near Wu Shan Road, Tuen Mun. In the operation, 48 boxes of live monitor lizards and a box-type lorry with a total value of about $420,000 were seized.
At about 1.30am today, officers from Hong Kong Customs' Marine Enforcement Group and the Task Force of Marine Police West Division spotted six suspicious men loading goods from a box-type lorry onto a speedboat moored on the seashore near Wu Shan Road, Tuen Mun and took immediate enforcement action. The suspects fled with the speedboat. Subsequently, the officers seized the lorry and found about 350 live monitor lizards contained in 48 wooden boxes.
Hong Kong Customs will continue to take stringent enforcement action with the Marine Police to combat sea smuggling activities.
Under the Import and Export Ordinance, smuggling is a serious offence and any person found guilty of exporting unmanifested cargoes is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
Ends/Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Issued at HKT 18:31
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