VICTORIA CITY: The biggest illegal wood-smuggling attempt in Hong Kong has been smashed by Customs’ officials in which 92 tones of scarce wood namely Honduras rosewood has been found in four containers in Guatemala city.
The haul, revealed yesterday, was worth HK$3 million and was found in four cargo containers which arrived in the city from Guatemala via Mexico. A husband, 52, and wife, 54, from Tuen Mun have been arrested but no one has yet been charged.
The announcement – which comes exactly a week after customs announced its biggest ever seizure of methamphetamine – again puts the spotlight on the city’s role as a transshipment centre for a range of contraband.
While timber may make for an unlikely cargo for smugglers, the increasing scarcity of some species make it a profitable venture. Rosewood is a popular choice for high-end furniture and flooring in Hong Kong and the mainland, but the number of trees has declined markedly and trade in some species is restricted under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
