Nearly 400 highly endangered aquarium fish – known as Asiatic arowana and worth HK$3,000 each – were among a HK$1.83 million (US$234,890) haul of contraband seized from a boat in a Hong Kong customs operation targeting cross-border smuggling on Thursday night.
Customs officers arrested three local men when they intercepted the fishing boat in southwestern Hong Kong waters about 1.5km from the maritime boundary with mainland China.
Customs uncovers HK$3.3 million haul of fish maw from endangered totoaba
The on-board consignment also included four boxes of endangered stony coral worth a total of HK$100,000, and 67 more of chilled groupers valued at HK$500,000.
Two pursuit crafts were deployed to stop the boat as it tried to leave Hong Kong waters towards the mainland at about 9pm on Thursday, said Senior Inspector Wong Chi-keung, of customs’ syndicate crimes investigation bureau.
On seeing the crafts approach, the fishing boat accelerated, but was eventually stopped following a pursuit lasting several minutes, Wong said.
Eighty-one styrofoam boxes carrying contraband were found on board the 38-metre wooden boat. Ten boxes carried young Asiatic arowana, which are popular as aquarium fish.
“A young arowana is worth HK$3,000, but those bigger in size could be sold for as much as tens of thousands of dollars,” a law enforcement source said.
The Customs and Excise Department said the investigation was continuing and further arrests were possible.
Wong said the department was still looking into the source and final destination of the seized goods.
The three Hong Kong men, aged between 45 and 64, were arrested on suspicion of attempting to export endangered species and unmanifested cargoes.
As of Friday afternoon, the suspects were still being held for questioning and had not been charged.
In Hong Kong, importing or exporting endangered species without a licence carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail and a HK$10 million fine.
Exporting unmanifested cargo is punishable by up to seven years in prison and a HK$2 million fine.
So far this year, customs officers have seized HK$310 million worth of contraband in 49 maritime smuggling cases.
