HONG KONG: Hong Kong Customs foiled a smuggling case at an immigration control point with the arrest of a motorist and seizure of HK$2.2 million of smartphones.
It was the third such case detected by customs officers at a land control point in 12 days. In the previous two cases, mobile phones worth a total of HK$2.4 million were seized with the arrest of two drivers.
The latest case came to light when customs officers intercepted a Shenzhen-bound car at the Lok Ma Chau immigration control point on Monday.
“During inspection, officers found the (891) smartphones in the boot of the private car. The 29-year-old male driver was arrested,” the Customs and Excise Department said in a statement.
On Tuesday afternoon, the man was still being held for questioning and had not been charged, a department spokesman said.
The previous case happened in the early hours of Tuesday last week when officers intercepted a lorry at the same border control point.
In that instance, a total of 288 smartphones worth HK$1.3 million were found concealed in a false compartment connected to the vehicle’s rear axle unit. The 56-year-old male driver was arrested.
On January 6, officers at the Man Kam To border check point arrested a 61-year-old man after seizing 477 smartphones worth HK$1.1 million on board his Shenzhen-bound truck.
Under the Import and Export Ordinance, attempting to export unmanifested cargo carries a maximum penalty of a HK$2 million fine and seven years in jail.
