Hong Kong Customs seizes live turtles and live lizards of suspected scheduled endangered species
Hong Kong Customs on April 8 detected an endangered species smuggling case involving a medium goods vehicle at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point and seized 106 live turtles and 654 live lizards of suspected scheduled endangered species with an estimated market value of about $580,000.
Based on risk assessment that day, Customs intercepted an outgoing medium goods vehicle at the control point. Upon X-ray examination, Customs officers spotted irregularities in the images of the vehicle's undercarriage. Twenty-six black bags were found concealed inside the chassis frame under the cargo compartment of the vehicle. Upon examination, the bags were found to contain the batch of live turtles and live lizards of suspected scheduled endangered species. A 44-year-old male driver was arrested and has been released on bail pending further investigations.
Customs will continue to combat cross-boundary smuggling activities with firm enforcement action based on risk assessment and intelligence analysis.
Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
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 on April 8 detected an endangered species smuggling case involving a medium goods vehicle at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point and seized 106 live turtles and 654 live lizards of suspected scheduled endangered species with an estimated market value of about $580,000. Photo shows one of the live turtles of suspected scheduled endangered species seized. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Speech by SITI at Government-Enterprise Dialogue of 2026 World Internet Conference Asia-Pacific Summit
Following is the speech by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, at the Government-Enterprise Dialogue of the 2026 World Internet Conference (WIC) Asia-Pacific Summit today (April 13):
Thank you Secretary-General Ren Xianliang (the Secretary General of the WIC). Good morning, everyone. It is a great honour to cochair this Government-Enterprise Dialogue. A very warm welcome to everyone, and a particular welcome to those visiting Hong Kong for the first time.
Today's Dialogue brings together distinguished policymakers, leading WIC member enterprises and organisations from all over the world. We are here to hold in-depth discussions on AI security and governance, cross-boundary data flow, and digital financial regulation with a view to shaping a secure, reliable and innovative digital economy for the future.
In Hong Kong, we believe robust partnerships between government, enterprise, academia and research are the cornerstone of technology-driven growth. We have in place various funding schemes to encourage enterprises to transform research and development outcomes into viable solutions and commercial products. We also launched the $10 billion Innovation and Technology Industry-Oriented Fund to channel more social capital to invest in innovation and technology industries and support the development of emerging and future industries of strategic importance to Hong Kong.
To deepen co-operation with major cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), we have taken steps to facilitate cross-boundary data flows. With the support of the Cyberspace Administration of China, we introduced the Standard Contract for the Cross-boundary Flow of Personal Information Within the GBA (Mainland, Hong Kong), so that all business sectors can use this voluntary, streamlined mechanism to transfer personal data compliantly between Mainland GBA cities and Hong Kong. This not only provides companies with a consistent mechanism to get hold of cross-border data but reduces their operating costs and uncertainty.
Beyond the GBA, Hong Kong also actively engages, collaborates and co-designs with regional partners to shape interoperable and reliable digital frameworks across the Asia-Pacific. As a participant in the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement accession process, we are working towards cross-border data standards and AI governance frameworks that promote seamless digital trade and build confidence across regional markets.
The HKSAR (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) Government also accords high priority on the governance and risk management of AI applications. To this end, our Digital Policy Office has published and continuously updates documents such as the Ethical AI Framework and the Hong Kong Generative AI Technical and Application Guideline. These documents provide the AI governance framework tailored to the Hong Kong context for the development and application of AI technologies, and cover key principles and safety standards for identifying and managing potential AI risks.
Looking ahead, Hong Kong will continue to serve as an Asia-Pacific hub for digital enterprise co-operation. Through platforms such as the Hong KongASEAN Summit on Digital Economy Co-operation and the WIC AsiaPacific Summit, we aim to deepen publicprivate partnerships that facilitate reliable data exchange, advance AI governance dialogue, and foster collaborative innovation across the region.
An innovation ecosystem that fully unleashes technological potentials while safeguarding ethics and data security requires the wisdom and collaboration of all. I very much look forward to your valuable insights and to working together towards a more prosperous and secure digital future. Thank you.
The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, Photo by Bastille Post
