Hong Kong Customs officers yesterday (October 24) smashed a syndicate involved in the smuggling of electronic goods to the Mainland by sea.
Customs officers seized about $12 million worth of goods and arrested seven men.
Following extensive investigations, officers of Special Task Force and Port & Maritime Control Command conducted an operation codenamed Shamrock in Tuen Mun last evening.
Shortly after 5pm, Customs officers laid ambush around a shop at Sam Shing Street in Tuen Mun.
When Customs officers spotted suspects loading goods onto an unlit sampan berthed nearby, they took enforcement actions.
In a raid, they seized $12 million worth of goods, including electronic parts, hard disks, used mobile phones, MP3 players, watches, two outboard motors and a motorised sampan.
They arrested seven local men, aged between 18 and 28.
Customs investigations showed that cartons of goods were delivered to the venue, which was camouflaged as a seafood shop, for temporary storage. The goods were then loaded speedily onto unlit sampans in the evening for smuggling into the Mainland.
The Group Head of Special Task Force, Mr Lin Shun-yin, today (October 25) stressed that Hong Kong Customs would continue its stringent enforcement against cross-boundary smuggling.
Under the Import and Export Ordinance, smuggling is a serious offence. The maximum penalty is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
Ends/Thursday, October 25, 2007