Hong Kong Customs and its Mainland counterpart have stepped up
cooperation to deter poultry smuggling at the control points,
targeting both passengers and cargo, an official from Hong Kong
Customs said Saturday.
Customs' Head of Control Points Command Ko Chi-lok said that the
Department had strengthened cooperation with the Mainland, Hong
Kong Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and Hong Kong
Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, to deter
poultry smuggling in view of the suspension of import of live
poultry and birds from the Mainland for three weeks started from
Friday after a confirmed H5N1 human case in Shenzhen of Guangdong Province.
In a media briefing, Ko warned those who smuggled live birds or
poultry meat into Hong Kong could face prosecution.
"We have tightened examination of suspicious imported cargo and
baggage at sea, land and air boundaries," Ko said, adding "in
addition to front-line officers, Hong Kong Customs will deploy
plainclothes officers to be on the lookout for law
breakers."?
Under the Import and Export Ordinance, anyone importing
unmanifested cargo, or importing prohibited articles such as frozen
or chilled meat, poultry or birds without an import license,
commits an offense and is liable on conviction to a fine of 500,
000 Hong Kong dollars (about US$64516) and imprisonment for two
years.
(Xinhua News Agency June 19, 2006)
