Man sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment for smuggling dried seahorses (with photo)
***********************************************************************************
A spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said that the male passenger arrived at Hong Kong International Airport from Bangkok, Thailand, on September 16 last year. Upon inspection of the man's luggage by Customs officers, a batch of suspected controlled dried seahorses was found concealed among food items in an attempt to evade detection. AFCD officers attended the scene, examined the specimens and confirmed that they were controlled dried seahorses, weighing a total of 6.18 kilograms, with an estimated market value of about $150,000. The man was prosecuted by the AFCD for illegal import of specimens of endangered species. He was convicted at the District Court today, and the court adopted a starting point of 15 months' imprisonment for sentencing. With a one-third reduction given for his guilty plea, the defendant was sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment.
Seahorses are listed in Appendix II to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and are regulated under the Ordinance in Hong Kong. Any person who imports, exports or possesses specimens of endangered species not in accordance with the Ordinance commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for 10 years with the specimens forfeited.
The spokesman said, "The Government is committed to protecting endangered species. The AFCD and Hong Kong Customs will remain vigilant and continue to monitor and combat illegal activities involving endangered species."
Members of the public may call 1823 to report any suspected irregularities to the AFCD and visit the AFCD website at www.cites.hk for information on the control of endangered species in Hong Kong.
Ends/Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Issued at HKT 18:40
Issued at HKT 18:40
NNNN
Photo
