Seizure of 60 hippo tusks and 3,300 live turtles in Hong Kong.

Sixty tusks from protected hippopotamus and 3,300 live turtles were among a HK$2 million haul of contraband seized by Hong Kong customs in a crackdown against a cross-border sea smuggling operation.

Customs officers arrested three local men at the waterfront in Ap Lei Chau, but the other three smugglers fled in a speedboat, according to Inspector Hong Yan of the syndicate crimes investigation bureau.

Acting on intelligence, the officers laid in wait at the waterfront near the Ap Lei Chau Wind Tower Park in the early hours of Wednesday after receiving intelligence.

Hippo ivory seized by Hong Kong customs officers on Wednesday. They are also seeking advice from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department to establish whether live turtles also seized were an endangered species. Photo: Jelly Tse

At about 3am, a delivery van arrived, and its driver and his three passengers unloaded goods from the vehicle. At the same time, a speedboat with two men on board berthed at the waterfront.

As the smuggled goods were being loaded onto the speedboat, officers sprang into action. Three suspects were caught, but a fourth man jumped onto the boat which sped out to sea and across the maritime boundary with the two others aboard.

Officers seized 60 pieces of ivory from endangered hippos, 3,300 live turtles and 500 boxes of painkillers used for dogs, according to the inspector.

Hong said they were seeking advice from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department to establish the turtle species and check whether they were endangered. The total haul was estimated to be worth HK$2 million in Hong Kong.

A source familiar with the case said the goods were destined for the mainland, adding authorities were still investigating their origin.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the three suspects, aged 33 to 44, were being held for questioning. The investigation was continuing and further arrests were possible, customs said.

Smuggling is a serious offence under the Import and Export Ordinance, and punishable by up to seven years in jail and a HK$2 million fine.

In Hong Kong, importing, exporting and possessing endangered species without a licence carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail and a HK$10 million fine.

Courtesy of Kat Mak.

Main Source: SCMP