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Saturday, Feb 22, 2025
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Thirty-seven cats and dogs, HK$4.1m dried goods seized in Yuen Long
Thirty-seven cats and dogs, and dried goods including bullwhip worth about HK$4.1 million were seized in an anti-smuggling operation at Ha Pak Nai in Yuen Long in the early morning on Friday.
Marine police and customs officers mounted an operation on Thursday night to combat illegal immigration and smuggling activities in Yuen Long. At around 3am Friday, officers spotted two men entering Hong Kong waters in a speedboat and heading towards a ford at Ha Pak Nai, where a van had also parked.
As the two men parked the speedboat by the ford, they loaded boxes of goods into the van, while three men coming out of the truck moved boxes from the vehicle onto the boat.
Officers' suspicions were raised, and they acted immediately. The five of them then jumped onto the speedboat and swiftly fled the scene, leaving behind the van and boxes of goods.
Officers tried to pursue but lost track of the suspects, who headed northward to mainland waters. Police have also informed mainland law enforcement of the incident.
A total of 48 boxes of smuggled goods were seized, containing 460 kg of bullwhip and 325 kg of deer tail, with an estimated value of HK$4.1 million.
Twelve plastic boxes were found by the ford as well, containing 30 cats and seven dogs. About three to four cats and dogs were trapped in each box, and they were not microchipped.
Police believed the animals came from the mainland and would be sold to pet stores in the city after being smuggled here. Staffers from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals confirmed they were in good condition, and they would be transferred to the Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department later.
An investigation is still ongoing, and the case is now handled by the marine police crime unit and customs.
As the two men parked the speedboat by the ford, they loaded boxes of goods into the van, while three men coming out of the truck moved boxes from the vehicle onto the boat.
Officers' suspicions were raised, and they acted immediately. The five of them then jumped onto the speedboat and swiftly fled the scene, leaving behind the van and boxes of goods.
Officers tried to pursue but lost track of the suspects, who headed northward to mainland waters. Police have also informed mainland law enforcement of the incident.
A total of 48 boxes of smuggled goods were seized, containing 460 kg of bullwhip and 325 kg of deer tail, with an estimated value of HK$4.1 million.
Twelve plastic boxes were found by the ford as well, containing 30 cats and seven dogs. About three to four cats and dogs were trapped in each box, and they were not microchipped.
Police believed the animals came from the mainland and would be sold to pet stores in the city after being smuggled here. Staffers from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals confirmed they were in good condition, and they would be transferred to the Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department later.
An investigation is still ongoing, and the case is now handled by the marine police crime unit and customs.
