The Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) yesterday (October 19) during a joint operation with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) seized 438 suspected smuggled hairy crabs with an estimated market value of about $30,000 at Lok Ma Chau Control Point.

     C&ED officers intercepted an incoming private car at Lok Ma Chau Control Point for inspection yesterday afternoon and seized a total of 438 suspected smuggled hairy crabs from six boxes in the vehicle. The 31-year-old male driver was arrested and has been put on bail pending further investigation. Investigation is ongoing.

     The C&ED reminds members of the public that smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

     The FEHD said that according to the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap 132), all food available for sale in Hong Kong, locally produced or imported, should be fit for human consumption. An offender is subject to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months upon conviction.

     The Centre for Food Safety of the FEHD has been collecting hairy crab samples for testing at the import and retail levels. As of October 19, except for one sample from Taoyuan City in Taiwan which was found to contain an unsatisfactory level of dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a total of 117 samples tested were satisfactory (including 14 samples tested for dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs).
 
     The C&ED and FEHD will continue to maintain close co-operation and intelligence exchange with each other and conduct joint operations to combat the illegal import of food.

     Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to the Customs 24-hour hotline 2545 6182.

Ends/Friday, October 20, 2017
Issued at HKT 19:42

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