Hong Kong Customs has seized 20,700 suspected pharmaceutical items worth HK$450,000 from a private car attempting to leave the city through the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge control point. The 37-year-old female driver was charged with exporting unmanifested cargo and will appear in West Kowloon Magistrates’ Court on 8 October. Officers, acting on risk intelligence, stopped the vehicle on 7 October and discovered the goods packed in black plastic bags in the boot. The haul included prescription-only slimming tablets and erectile-dysfunction drugs that require import and export licences under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance. The bridge’s land port has become a growing conduit for small-volume, high-margin contraband since cross-border private-car quotas were relaxed earlier this year. Logistics analysts say corporate drivers should double-check manifests before offering ride-sharing space to acquaintances, as strict liability applies to unmanifested goods. Exporting unmanifested cargo carries a maximum sentence of seven years and a HK$2 million fine. Travellers can report suspected smuggling via the Customs 24-hour hotline or online form.
Source: Hong Kong Customs press release
