Couple held over $3m wood haul A couple running a trading company have been arrested for allegedly smuggling 92,000 kilograms of endangered Honduras rosewood worth HK$3 million. Police described the smuggling case as involving the largest haul of logs in the past decade. The 52-year-old man and his 54-year-old wife were arrested on December 10, after the logs were seized on November 26. They were released on bail of HK$6,000 each. The Customs and Excise divisional commander in charge of containerized cargo examination, Wong Wai-hung, said the logs originally came from Guatemala and passed through Mexico before arriving in Hong Kong. The market price is around HK$30 per kilogram. As the wood is hard, it is suitable for making high-quality furniture, or even sculptures, musical instruments and ornaments, Wong said. Special Investigation Division divisional commander Lee Man- lok said the trading firm, founded in 2013, was involved in importing and exporting wood. Endangered Species Protection Officer Phoebe Sze Wai- chung said the seized logs will now be used for research and education, but precise details are yet to be worked out. Customs officers became suspicious when they came across a cargo shipment in the Kwai Chung Customhouse declared as rubber waste. On examining the four 40-foot containers, they found the logs. In the shipping manifest from Guatemala to Mexico, the cargo was listed as wood. The Customs and Excise Department has smashed 10 cases of such smuggling in the past 10 years, and three this year involving endangered wood. According to the Import and Export Ordinance, any person guilty of importing unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of HK$2 million and imprisonment for seven years. Under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance, illegally importing a specimen of a scheduled species on Appendix III without a license is liable to a maximum fine of HK$50,000 and imprisonment for six months.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 08:07:47 +0000
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