Customs officers crushed a storage centre of motor spirit and 14 illicit fuel filling station, seized six goods vehicles and 15,600 litres of illicit fuel, and arrested 23 persons, aged between 22 and 51, in a three-day (February 22 to 24) large-scale operation to clamp down illicit fuel activities.
Overall, the total seizure was worth about $345,000 and the seized illicit fuel carried a duty potential of about $85,000.
During the operation, officers of the Diesel Oil Enforcement Division and the Special Task Force raided various locations, namely, Hung Hom, Kowloon City, To Kwa Wan, Yau Tong in Kowloon as well as Pat Heung, Yuen Long, Tuen Mun, Fo Tan, Tai Po, Kwai Chung, and Tseung Kwan O in the New Territories.
In a raid against a fenced area at Sheung Chuk Yuen in Yuen Long, Customs officers neutralised a storage centre of illicit fuel that was suspected of utilising private vehicles to smuggle motor spirit from the Mainland into Hong Kong. As a result, the officers arrested three male Mainlanders and seized 8,335 litres of illicit oil and a goods vehicle. They also seized a left-hand drive vehicle which had been altered in such a way that illicit fuel could be pumped out easily. Customs believed that the illicit oil was intended for sale at illicit fuel filling station in Northwest New Territories.
During the three-day operation, Customs officers intercepted 39 goods vehicles for inspection. Of these vehicles, six were found to have carried illicit fuel. Hence, Customs officers arrested six drivers in connection with the cases.
With the neutralisation of the 14 illicit fuel filling stations (five in Kowloon while nine in the New Territories), Customs officers arrested 14 persons and seized 6,700 litres of illicit oil.
A spokesman for the Customs and Excise Department today (February 25) appealed to cross-boundary drivers not to smuggle motor spirit into Hong Kong.
He warned that the use of illicit oil is a criminal offence. Drivers concerned, once convicted, would have a criminal record and their vehicles would be forfeited. Offenders would also be liable to a maximum fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years.
Drivers convicted twice in connection with illicit oil offence would have their driving licence suspended for six months. Drivers convicted thrice or more would have their driving licence suspended for more than six months.
If members of the public come across any suspected illicit oil activities, they are urged to call the Customs 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 to report.
Ends/Friday, February 25, 2005