Hong Kong Customs Seizes $40 Million in Suspected Smuggling Cases Involving Ocean-Going Vessels

Hong Kong Customs seizes smuggled goods worth about $40 million

Hong Kong Customs detected two suspected smuggling cases involving ocean-going vessels on October 2. A large batch of suspected smuggled goods with a total estimated market value of about $40 million was seized.

Through intelligence analysis and risk assessment, Customs discovered that criminals intended to use ocean-going vessels to smuggle goods. Strategies were thus formulated, with one suspicious container scheduled to be shipped from Hong Kong to Thailand, and one suspicious container prepared to be shipped to Cambodia, via ocean-going vessels selected for inspection.

Customs inspected the two containers, declared as carrying clothing and kitchenware respectively, on October 2. Upon examinations, Customs officers found large batches of suspected smuggled goods, including audio equipment, watches, cameras and other electronic products that were mix-loaded with the clothes and kitchenware in the containers.

An investigation is ongoing. The likelihood of arrests is not ruled out.

Being a government department primarily responsible for tackling smuggling activities, Customs has long been combating various smuggling offences. Customs will keep up its enforcement action and continue to fiercely combat sea smuggling activities through proactive risk management and intelligence-based enforcement strategies, and carry out targeted anti-smuggling operations at suitable times to disrupt relevant crimes.

Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years upon conviction.

Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Hong Kong Customs seizes smuggled goods worth about $40 million Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

October 2024 issue of "Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics" now available

The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) published today (October 16) the October 2024 issue of the "Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics" (HKMDS).

Apart from providing up-to-date statistics, this issue also contains one feature article entitled "Hong Kong's Air Cargo Statistics, 2014 to 2023".

"Hong Kong's Air Cargo Statistics, 2014 to 2023"

The Hong Kong International Airport is one of the busiest and most advanced airports in the world. It consolidates Hong Kong's position as an international commerce hub and supports Hong Kong as an international logistics centre. In terms of air cargo throughput, the Hong Kong International Airport ranked first globally in 2023, at 4.3 million tonnes. This feature article provides trend analysis of the air cargo statistics of Hong Kong from 2014 to 2023.

For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the Trade Statistics Processing Section of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 4941; email: tsp_1@censtatd.gov.hk).

Published in bilingual form, the HKMDS is a compact volume of official statistics containing about 130 tables. It collects up-to-date statistical series on various aspects of the social and economic situation of Hong Kong. Topics include population; labour; external trade; National Income and Balance of Payments; prices; business performance; energy; housing and property; government accounts, finance and insurance; and transport, communications and tourism. For selected key statistical items, over 20 charts depicting the annual trend in the past decade and quarterly or monthly trend in the recent two years are also available. Users can download the Digest at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1010002&scode=460).

Enquiries about the contents of the Digest can be directed to the Statistical Information Dissemination Section (1) of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 4738; email: gen-enquiry@censtatd.gov.hk).