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Two Customs operations conducted by the Ports and Maritime Command and the Marine Enforcement Division on September 25 netted about $13 million worth of goods.

At about 4.30pm on September 25 while searching a 40-foot container declared to be carrying 530 chargers at the Yau Ma Tei Public Cargo Working Area, Customs officers found about $5 million worth of goods, including 500 boxes of unmanifested fireworks and a large quantity of suspected counterfeit goods, such as, clothes, rucksacks and mobile phone batteries and accessories.

It was initially found that the transshipment container was from Huangpu in the Mainland and destined for Manila in the Philippines.

At 9.40pm on the same day, Customs officers intercepted a river trade vessel which was heading towards the Mainland in the waters off Tseung Kwan O. The vessel carried three containers declared to be carrying metal scrap.

However, the officers found $8 million worth of unmanifested goods, including rolls of film, destined for Huidong in the Mainland.

A spokesman for the Customs and Excise Department said today (September 29), "No arrest has been made so far. Customs investigations are continuing."

Any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo under the Import and Export Ordinance is liable to a maximum penalty of a fine of $2 million and seven years' imprisonment.

Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, it is an offence to import or export goods with forged trade marks. The maximum penalty is a fine of $500,000 and five years' imprisonment.

According to the Dangerous Goods Ordinance, it is an offence to move dangerous goods without a permit. The maximum penalty is a fine of $25,000 and six months' imprisonment.

End/Monday, September 29, 2003

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