A 42-year-old traveller from Nigeria was arrested at Hong
Kong International Airport with 15kg of suspected ivory products stashed inside
the pockets of a tailor-made vest.
He arrived in the city from Abuja, Nigeria, via Dubai, in
the United Arab Emirates, on Monday morning.
"During customs clearance, customs officers found about 15kg of suspected ivory pieces and products concealed in a tailor-made vest inside his hand baggage," the Customs and Excise Department said.
The haul was estimated to be worth HK$150,000 in Hong Kong
and the man may face prosecution for importing an endangered species, the
department said.
The suspect’s hand baggage was seized alongside about
HK50,000 worth of ivory products.
Officers handed the case to the Agriculture, Fisheries and
Conservation Department for further investigation. The conservation department
oversees ivory matters in the city.
It was the third seizure by customs officers at the airport
in a month. On August 7, an 18-year-old man arriving from Harare, Zimbabwe, was
arrested with 15kg of ivory products.
On July 27, officers caught a 27-year-old man who had
arrived from Lagos, Nigeria, and seized HK$150,000 worth of ivory tusks and
ivory products. He was convicted of importing an endangered species and fined
HK$62,000.
A state-run newspaper reported in April that a syndicate
behind ivory smuggling provided a "baby rental" service as a cover to
help its smugglers receive less scrutiny while crossing into the mainland from
Hong Kong.
The tactic was revealed after a Hong Kong woman was arrested
at a checkpoint as she tried to smuggle 24 ivory products into Shenzhen. She
was carrying her own baby when arrested.
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