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 From Hong Kong's Information Services Department
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May 26, 2003
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Crime watch
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$50m in contraband seized off Black Point
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Customs & Excise Department

Marine Police and Customs officers have seized $50 million worth of suspected contraband goods off Black Point in a joint operation.

 

After extensive investigations into the illegal export of electrical appliances from Hong Kong to the Mainland, officers from the Joint Anti-smuggling Task Force found a suspicious Mainland-bound trading vessel near Kwun Tong on May 22.

 

After loading a number of containers, the vessel cast off and manoeuvred west to leave Hong Kong waters at night.

 

At about 11pm, the vessel was intercepted off Black Point near Tuen Mun and taken to the River Trade Terminal for a full search.

 

Upon searching two containers with relevant documents which claimed to have contained "low density polyethylene" destined for Fuyong in Shenzhen, a large quantity of suspected unmanifested cargo was found concealed behind some bags of polyethylene.

 

The cargo contained 2.3 million VCD players, fax machines and computer motherboards.

 

The Customs & Excise Department has taken over the case.

 

The departments will continue to mount joint operations against cross-boundary smuggling activities.