Hong Kong News

Nonpartisan, Noncommercial, unconstrained.
Friday, Mar 29, 2024

Hong Kong customs officers seize tonnes of frozen meat worth HK$4.5m in sea-going sting operation

Hong Kong customs officers seize tonnes of frozen meat worth HK$4.5m in sea-going sting operation

Tonnes of contraband frozen meat seized by customs officers from ship in the city’s southern waters.

A total of 40 tonnes of frozen meat worth HK$4.5 million was seized and five men arrested after Hong Kong customs officers intercepted a cargo vessel in an anti-smuggling operation in the city’s southern waters.

Michael Leung Ming-yan of the customs marine enforcement group said pursuit boats went into action after radar sweeps detected suspicious maritime activity south of Hong Kong at about 9pm on Thursday.

The customs crews were deployed after an investigation suggested speedboats entered the city’s waters from the mainland and collected goods from a cargo vessel off Lamma Island before racing back to Guangdong.

Frozen meat impounded by Hong Kong customs officers after an anti-smuggling operation led to the seizure of a cargo ship.


Leung said two speedboats berthed next to the cargo vessel east of Lamma Island raced off when the customs boats approached.

But he added customs officers chased one of the speedboats.

Leung said: “During the 10-minute pursuit, those on board the boat ignored our repeated warnings and orders to stop and accelerated, leaving for Chinese waters at the city’s southern waters.”

He added the speedboat also made a series sharp turns in an effort to prevent it from being intercepted.

Leung said the speedboat, fitted with six outboard engines, hit 55 knots (102 km/h) in a bid to evade arrest.

The boat, which escaped, was said to have two men and some smuggled goods on board.

Another team of customs officers boarded the crane-equipped cargo vessel.

Leung said: “Officers seized 40 tonnes of frozen meat and arrested five men in the cargo vessel.

“The seized goods and impounded cargo vessel were worth about HK$5.1 million.”

He added five men were arrested on suspicion of attempting to export unmanifested cargo – an offence punishable by up to seven years in jail and a HK$2 million fine.

The detained men were being questioned on Friday afternoon. No one has been charged in connection with the incident.

Senior Inspector Tang Ka-chun, also of the marine enforcement group, said customs officers had launched an investigation into the source of the meat.

He added customs officers would increase patrols and surveillance of the smuggling route involved in a bid to deter smugglers.

A law enforcement source said it was the first cross-border sea smuggling case involving frozen meat and the use of speedboats detected since February.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Hong Kong News
0:00
0:00
Close
It's always the people with the dirty hands pointing their fingers
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Steve Jobs' Son Launches Venture Capital Firm With $200 Million For Cancer Treatments
Google reshuffles Assistant unit, lays off some staffers, to 'supercharge' products with A.I.
End of Viagra? FDA approved a gel against erectile dysfunction
UK sanctions Russians judges over dual British national Kara-Murza's trial
US restricts visa-free travel for Hungarian passport holders because of security concerns
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Political leader from South Africa, Julius Malema, led violent racist chants at a massive rally on Saturday
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
'I am not your servant': IndiGo crew member, passenger get into row over airline meal
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Spanish Citizenship Granted to Iranian chess player who removed hijab
US Senate Republican Mitch McConnell freezes up, leaves press conference
Speaker McCarthy says the United States House of Representatives is getting ready to impeach Joe Biden.
San Francisco car crash
This camera man is a genius
3D ad in front of Burj Khalifa
Next level gaming
BMW driver…
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Joe Biden admitted, in his own words, that he delivered what he promised in exchange for the $10 million bribe he received from the Ukraine Oil Company.
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
BBC Anchor Huw Edwards Hospitalized Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Family Confirms
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Distorted Mirror of actual approval ratings: Examining the True Threat to Democracy Beyond the Persona of Putin
40,000 child slaves in Congo are forced to work in cobalt mines so we can drive electric cars.
×