Hong Kong's biggest seizure of endangered seahorses in two years.

On 2 December 2020, Hong Kong Customs Officers made their biggest seizure of endangered seahorses in two years finding 75kg of the product valued at HK$1 million. A 63 year old man has since been arrested during an operation against illegal wildlife trade.

About 25kg of dried seahorses were airmailed into the city from Indonesia via a logistic hub in Shenzhen and were found in a truck at the Lok Ma Chau border checkpoint. The goods were found in boxes declared to be carrying body scrub and addressed to a public housing flat in Tuen Mun.

The arrested man was the consignee of the package and was taken into custody after he received the package from an undercover agent during a controlled delivery. A further 50kg of dried seahorses was found inside his flat. The man has since been released on bail pending further investigation.

Seahorses are often used in Chinese medicine to treat ailment, with one of the more common applications being for erectile dysfunction.

Prior to this seizure, Hong Kong Customs and Excise had confiscated a total of 43kg of dried seafood in 11 other cases in 2020. The largest ever seizure of dried seahorses was made back in June 2018, where 138kg of the endangered species was discovered.

In 2020, Customs Officers have confiscated HK$149 million worth of endangered species, 12 per cent more than the value seized in 2019. But the total number of cases has dropped from 659 in 2019 to only 250. This indicates that although the frequency of trafficking in endangered species has reduced, the quantity has severely increased - most likely as a result of traffickers needing to move their products via different methods due to the current worldwide pandemic.

Some species of seahorses are listed in Appendix II of CITES and which is given effect by the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance, Cap 586.

Courtesy of HKALPO

Main Source: SCMP