Hong Kong Customs Seizes 714 Endangered Bird Eggs Worth $10 Million at Airport

Hong Kong Customs seizes eggs of suspected scheduled endangered bird species

Hong Kong Customs yesterday (December 12) seized 714 eggs of suspected scheduled endangered bird species, with an estimated market value of about $10 million, at Hong Kong International Airport.

A 26-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Thailand yesterday (December 12). He was intercepted for customs clearance at the arrivals hall of the airport. Customs officers found the batch of bird eggs inside three paper boxes in his carry-on baggage. Upon inspection by officers of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), the bird eggs were suspected to be endangered species listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and regulated under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap. 586) in Hong Kong.The man was subsequently arrested by Customs officer.

The arrested man was charged with illegal import of an Appendix II species. He will appear at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on December 15.

Under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance, any person importing, exporting or possessing specimens of endangered species not in accordance with the Ordinance commits an offence and will be liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for 10 years upon conviction with the specimens forfeited.

Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Hong Kong Customs seizes eggs of suspected scheduled endangered bird species Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs seizes eggs of suspected scheduled endangered bird species Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Two property owners fined over $400,000 in total for not complying with removal orders

Two owners were convicted and fined $401,600 in total at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts yesterday (March 11) for failing to comply with removal orders issued under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 123).

The two cases involved four unauthorised structures with a total area of about 1 140 square metres on the roof of an industrial building on Sze Mei Street, Wong Tai Sin. As the unauthorised building works (UBWs) were carried out without prior approval and consent from the Buildings Department (BD), removal orders were served on the two owners respectively under section 24(1) of the BO.

Failure to comply with the removal orders, the two owners were prosecuted by the BD four times and were fined a cumulative total of $417,845 and $432,545 respectively upon convictions by the court. As they persisted in not complying with the removal orders, they were prosecuted for the fifth time and each was fined $200,800, of which $70,800 was the fine for the number of days that the offence continued, upon convictions at the court.

A spokesman for the BD said today (March 12), "UBWs may lead to serious consequences. Owners must comply with removal orders without delay. The BD will continue to take enforcement action against owners who fail to comply with removal orders, including instigation of prosecution, to ensure building and public safety."

Failure to comply with a removal order without reasonable excuse is a serious offence under the BO. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $200,000 and one year's imprisonment, and a further fine of up to $20,000 for each day that the offence continues.