Hong Kong customs seizes HK$5 million of dried seafood from mainland-bound Tesla

Customs officers have detained a 53-year-old driver at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge checkpoint after discovering more than HK$5 million (US$643,290) worth of dried seafood delicacies, such as bird’s nest and fish maw, concealed in his mainland China-bound Tesla.

Officers said on Thursday that the electric vehicle had been modified to create additional storage space.

They added the vehicle was stopped on February 20 at the Lantau Island checkpoint and found with bird’s nest goods stored in the front compartment.

A batch of scheduled fish maw and more bird’s nest packages were detected near the battery pack beneath the vehicle.

The seized items included 24kg (53lbs) of bird’s nest and 43kg of scheduled fish maw, with an estimated value of HK$5.2 million.

The driver would have evaded about HK$600,000 in tax had he successfully delivered the goods across the border, the department said.