Hong Kong Customs officers at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line control point uncovered two separate live-animal smuggling attempts on 3 August, seizing 62 songbirds and three domestic cats hidden in passengers’ hand luggage. The smugglers—Mainland visitors aged 22 and 56—were travelling from Shenzhen and now face charges under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance and the Import and Export Ordinance. Authorities value the birds at HK$12,000 and the cats at HK$30,000. All animals were handed over to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department for quarantine and health assessment. Customs said both cases were detected through targeted risk profiling that flags travellers with unusually shaped baggage for secondary inspection. The busts come as cross-boundary traffic through Hong Kong’s land checkpoints averages 630,000 movements per day—almost 95 percent of 2019 levels—and are expected to spike further during the upcoming Mid-Autumn and National Day “golden week.” To manage the surge, Immigration and Customs have redeployed 300 additional officers, extended e-Channel operating hours and installed thermal cameras capable of detecting concealed pets and wildlife. Illegal importation of live animals poses bio-security and animal-welfare risks, especially the spread of avian flu and rabies. Corporate travel teams should advise staff commuting between Hong Kong and Mainland China that inspections are currently more stringent and that undeclared biological material—even pets intended as gifts—can trigger prosecution, fines of up to HK$2 million and imprisonment. Customs has urged transport operators and travel-management companies to circulate updated guidelines on prohibited items. Companies relocating pets should use licensed animal-handling agents and allow extra lead time: quarantine slots at the AFCD’s facilities are already fully booked through October.
Source: RTHK
