HK Customs seizes 40 kg suspected rhino horns

The customs of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region seized some 40 kg of suspected rhino horns on Thursday at Hong Kong International Airport, a record haul of rhino horns seized from arriving air passengers.

The rhino horns, with an estimated market value of about 8 million HK dollars (about 1.01 million U.S. dollars), were found in two check-in carton boxes belonging to two male passengers from Johannesburg, South Africa. They were planning to travel to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, by air.

The two men, aged 28 and 33, were intercepted and arrested by customs officers at the airport, and the suspected rhino horns were found during customs clearance.

To provide a stronger deterrent against the smuggling and illegal trading of endangered species, the penalties under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance have been increased drastically since May 1, 2018 in Hong Kong.

Any person importing, exporting or possessing specimens of endangered species not in accordance with the Ordinance will be liable to a maximum fine of 10 million HK dollars and imprisonment for 10 years. The specimens will also be forfeited upon conviction.

On Feb. 8, 2019, two defendants were sentenced to 16 months in prison in Hong Kong for smuggling about 24 kg and 17 kg of agarwood. It was the heaviest sentence handed down so far for illegal import of endangered species under the ordinance. (1 U.S. dollar equals to 7.84 HK dollars)