Customs seize endangered species worth HK$22m
Customs officers on Friday said they had seized HK$22 million worth of suspected endangered species or related products they believe were being smuggled. Officers said they conducted a month-long operation with the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, after the number of smuggling cases rebounded as travel resumed. The 5.3 tonnes of products seized included live turtles, orchids, sharks fins, ginseng and dried seahorse. Cheung Ka-chung from the department's airport command said they arrested 14 people in relation to 24 cases. He said the biggest seizure was made after checks on imported cargo. "Customs officials found over five tonnes of fins of suspected endangered sharks in two 40-feet-long shipping containers that arrived from Macau," Cheung said. "The estimated market value was about HK$21 million." Two Burmese star tortoises and two Indian star tortoises – both banned from international trade – were also seized.