Hong Kong customs has confiscated HK$150 million (US$19.3 million) worth of electronic components in a seaborne shipment bound for Malaysia – the seventh smuggling case of this kind over the past four months.
A source familiar with the case said on Tuesday that customs officers intercepted the other six Malaysia-bound shipments of contraband products worth HK$310 million in total between April and July.
The latest seizure was discovered on Tuesday when a cargo container declared to be carrying zinc flakes was selected for inspection at a Kwai Chung shipping terminal, according to the Customs and Excise Department.
Inspector Davis Kwok Chun-ting of customs’ syndicate crimes investigation bureau said the declared weight of the shipment was about 30 to 40 per cent lighter than a similar cargo of zinc product, which caught their attention.
The container was taken to the Kwai Chung cargo examination compound for inspection after X-rays showed suspicious images.
Kwok said they confiscated 82 million electronic goods, including integrated circuits, motherboards, capacitors and some second-hand electronic parts – but found no zinc flakes in the container.
He added no concealment methods were used to hide the smuggled goods in this case, and criminals blatantly used false cargo declarations to misrepresent their activity.
Kwok revealed the seized goods had an estimated street value of HK$150 million.
The inspector also said electronic components and products were commonly smuggled to mainland China, which was believed to be the ultimate destination for this consignment.
“We don’t rule out the possibility that criminals try to evade customs detection by taking indirect routes,” Kwok said.
“They first ship the goods to Malaysia and then use different channels to smuggle the consignment into mainland China.”
He said up to HK$18 million in tariffs could have been evaded if the goods had successfully been smuggled into the mainland.
So far, no arrests have been made.
Kwok said the investigation into the origin and final destination of the seized goods was continuing.
In Hong Kong, exporting and importing unmanifested cargo is punishable by up to seven years in prison and a HK$2 million fine.
The six other Malaysia-bound shipments in the past three months included three containers carrying HK$100 million worth of smuggled mobile phones, computer components and vehicle parts, which were discovered on June 10, June 17 and June 23 respectively.
On April 4, customs discovered HK$100 million worth of smuggled electronic components, goods and waste from a shipment also bound for the Southeast Asian country.
