HK customs officers strike gold during search of car arriving from Shenzhen

A picture of the gold seized by Hong Kong customs yesterday
A picture of the gold seized by Hong Kong customs yesterday

In a suspected smuggling bust presumably accompanied by shouts of “jackpot,” Hong Kong customs officers yesterday seized 15 gold bars from a driver attempting to enter from the mainland.

The 15 kilogram haul — valued at HK$5 million (US$640,400) — was discovered during an inspection of a private vehicle that entered the Lok Ma Chau checkpoint from Shenzhen, according to customs department statement.

Officers arrested the car’s 55-year-old driver, who faces up to seven years in prison and a maximum fine of HK$2 million (US$256,000) if found to have been smuggling the golden goods.

The investigation is ongoing, customs said.

The bust comes less than a month after a Hong Kong airline stewardess was arrested in Tokyo for allegedly smuggling gold bars on a flight to the Japanese capital.

From July 2015 to June 2016, Japan reported 294 instances of smuggled gold worth a total of HK$42 million. Almost half — 45 percent — originated in Hong Kong, according to the Standard.

Yesterday’s seizure, meanwhile, is half the size of a similar bust about a year ago, when 30 gold bars, worth HK$11 million (US$1.4 million), were seized at the Bay Control point from a car entering from Shenzhen.



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