Traveller sentenced for smuggling worked ivory
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A spokesman of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said that about 22 kilograms of worked ivory were found by Customs officers inside the luggage of a 31-year-old man arriving from Harare, Zimbabwe, via Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, in the afternoon on September 9.
Subsequent to follow-up investigations, the AFCD charged the man with illegal import of specimens of listed species in Appendix I to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). He was sentenced to imprisonment for two months.
Elephants are listed in Appendix I to the CITES and regulated under the Ordinance in Hong Kong. Any person importing, exporting or re-exporting specimens of endangered species not in accordance with the Ordinance will be liable to a maximum fine of $5 million and imprisonment for two years. The specimens will also be forfeited upon conviction.
To enquire about the control of endangered species and to report suspected irregularities, the public can call the AFCD on 1823.
Ends/Monday, September 11, 2017
Issued at HKT 16:52
Issued at HKT 16:52
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