Customs seizes smuggled computer hard disks at Man Kam To

8 Jul 2004

Customs officers from the Man Kam To Division seized about 1 600 unmanifested computer hard disks from a lorry departing from Hong Kong on July 6.

At about 8.45pm, Customs officers intercepted and searched a lorry, declared to be empty, leaving for Shenzhen via the Man Kam To Control Point. As a result, they found 1 640 computer hard disks, worth about $984,000, concealed inside a false compartment beneath the cargo compartment of the vehicle.

Customs officers arrested a 44-year-old driver, and seized the computer hard disks and impounded the lorry. The seizure was worth about $1.06 million in total.

Under the Import and Export Ordinance, the maximum penalty for exporting unmanifested cargo is a fine of $2 million and an imprisonment for seven years.

Any person convicted of the offence "making use of the altered fitting of a vehicle for the purpose of smuggling articles out of Hong Kong" under the Import and Export Ordinance is liable to a maximum penalty of a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

End/Thursday, July 8, 2004

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