Woman sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment for smuggling dried shark fins (with photo)
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A spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said that the passenger arrived at Hong Kong International Airport from Brazil via Ethiopia on March 22 this year. Upon inspection of her luggage by Customs officers, a batch of suspected scheduled dried shark fins was found inside the luggage. AFCD officers subsequently attended the scene, examined the specimens and confirmed that they were scheduled dried shark fins, weighing a total of about 52 kilograms, with an estimated market value of about $200,000. The woman was prosecuted by the AFCD for illegal import of specimens of endangered species. She 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 her guilty plea, the defendant was sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment.
Some shark and ray species are listed in the Appendices to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, 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/Friday, October 16, 2026
Issued at HKT 17:25
Issued at HKT 17:25
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