Hong Kong Customs revealed details of the largest-ever agarwood smuggling case in the city, after seizing a metric ton of tree bark of the valuable wood worth an estimated HK$18 million ($2.3 million) while searching a 20-feet container from the Chinese mainland.
The arrest of a 35-year-old woman, who claimed to be a director of the company collecting the container, was confirmed by the Customs and Excise Department at a news conference on Thursday.
Customs officials said the bark was found during a raid at the Tuen Mun River Trade Terminal on Sept 25. Shipped from Nansha district in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, it is the largest haul of agarwood made by customs officials in Hong Kong.
Lau Yuk -lung, acting head of the Syndicate Crimes Investigation Bureau, said the agarwood was produced from at least 100 trees, and may have originated in Vietnam before being transported through the mainland.
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Customs officials said they believe that Hong Kong is merely a stop on the smuggling route and that most of the tree bark was destined for overseas.
Given the magnitude of the seizure, Lau believes that the operation has effectively disrupted the supply chain of agarwood, and will be a significant blow to smuggling syndicates.
The arrested women has been released on bail pending further investigation. Lau added that the agarwood will be handed over to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) for research and conservation purposes once the judicial process has been completed.
Wildly distributed in Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia, there are over 20 species of aquilaria trees globally, with some being classified as “vulnerable” or “critically endangered” due to overlogging of the trees.
The resin from aquilaria trees give off a unique fragrance that can be stored in agarwood, and the wood is highly valued for its perfume and incense.
One kilogram of agarwood has an estimated value of $20,000 to $100,000. In 2005, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora included all 20 species of aquilaria in its Appendix II to constrain global transactions of agarwood.
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In Hong Kong, anyone caught smuggling endangered species of animals and plants such as agarwood is liable to a fine of up to HK$10 million and up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
Ken Chan Hon-ki, an endangered species protection officer (licensing) at the AFCD, said his department will assist frontline personnel in better identifying endangered species and collaborate with Customs officials at various import and export control points to combat the smuggling of endangered species.
He warned the public that the trade in endangered species is strictly regulated by law.