Hong Kong customs authorities have uncovered the city’s largest gold smuggling operation to date, seizing 145 kilograms of suspected gold bars valued at HK$110 million (US$14.1 million) from air cargo suitcases.
“This bust marks the largest case of gold smuggling intercepted. The amount of gold seized was over two times more than the 64 kilograms of smuggled gold caught two weeks ago,” said Anthony Tang Cheuk-wai, divisional commander of the Customs and Excise Department’s special investigation division.
The previous record for bullion smuggling in the city was set on March 11, when customs intercepted another Japan-bound shipment containing HK$46 million worth of gold.
The shipment was intercepted on March 25 during an inspection of 26 plastic suitcases bound for Japan, according to the Straits Times.
Customs officers identified suspicious images in 14 of the suitcases during an X-ray scan, revealing black rectangles concealed in the middle, while the remaining 12 appeared empty.
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Gold bars and gold coins. Illustration from Unsplash |
Each flagged suitcase, packed in a cardboard box, weighed 12.6 kilograms more than its declared weight of 10.4 kilograms. Inside, officers found a complex concealment method resembling Russian nesting dolls. A one-kilogram package of suspected gold bars was hidden beneath seven layers of packaging.
“This shows that criminals had tried their utmost to conceal the goods,” Tang said.
Senior Inspector Ryan Ip Kin-sang of the cargo examination unit said customs was still investigating the origin of the shipment, as well as the identities of the sender and intended recipient.
The sender was listed as a Hong Kong trading company, but checks found no official registration under that name. The recipient was identified as a trading firm in Japan.
Tang estimated that the smugglers could have evaded HK$11 million in import duties had the gold gone undetected.
No arrests have been made so far.
Under Hong Kong’s Import and Export Ordinance, importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is punishable by up to seven years in prison and a maximum fine of HK$2 million.
