Hong Kong Customs Seizes $39 Million in Smuggled Pharmaceuticals, Arrests Three Individuals

Hong Kong Customs detects two smuggling cases with suspected controlled injection and pharmaceutical products worth over $39 million seized

In view of the increasing demand of injections and medicines from society recently, Hong Kong Customs has strengthened enforcement against the smuggling of controlled injection substances and medicines. As a result, two related cases, with suspected controlled injection and pharmaceutical products worth over $39 million, were detected. Three persons were arrested.

Hong Kong Customs on March 30 detected one smuggling case involving a river trade vessel departing from Hong Kong for Macao. Large batches of suspected smuggled goods, including about 4 million suspected pharmaceutical products, about 26 000 suspected controlled injection substances, and about 7 kilograms of cigars, with a total estimated market value of approximately $35 million, were seized.

Moreover, Hong Kong Customs detected a case of smuggling suspected controlled injection and pharmaceutical products on April 8. Customs officers on that day identified a shop in Sheung Shui which was suspected of smuggling controlled pharmaceutical products. A 28-year-old male consignee suspected to be connected with the case, and a 32-year-old male shop keeper were arrested. Customs further arrested a 33-year-old female person-in-charge of the shop concerned. Customs seized a total of 5 600 weight loss jabs and about 30 000 pharmaceutical tablets, with an estimated market value of about $4.77 million, in the case.

Investigations are ongoing, and the three arrestees have been released on bail.

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. Any person who imports pharmaceutical products and medicines without a valid import licence commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for two years.

Under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, any person who possesses any poison included in Part 1 of the Poisons List other than in accordance with provisions commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for two years.

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 detects two smuggling cases with suspected controlled injection and pharmaceutical products worth over $39 million seized Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs detects two smuggling cases with suspected controlled injection and pharmaceutical products worth over $39 million seized Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

DEP visits Ministry of Ecology and Environment

The Director of Environmental Protection, Dr Samuel Chui, visited the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) in Beijing today (April 21), and held technical exchanges with representatives from the Department of Marine Ecology and Environment of the MEE, the National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, the Department of Ecology and Environment of Guangdong Province, and the Ecology Environment Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality on the building of "Beautiful Bays" and the development of assessment standards for estuarine bay areas.

In December 2025, the MEE announced the fourth batch of national "Beautiful Bays", and Hong Kong's Mirs Bay was selected as an "Outstanding Example of Beautiful Bays" with an excellent overall score. Dr Chui said that Mirs Bay's recognition highlights the efforts of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government in marine ecological environment protection, and represents a significant achievement of the HKSAR Government in jointly building the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area into an international, first-class beautiful bay area. The HKSAR Government will actively advance the building of "Beautiful Bays" and is committed to enhancing the quality of the marine ecological environment through the prevention and control of nearshore pollution, co-ordinated ecosystem protection and shoreline remediation.

At the exchange meeting, Dr Chui shared the HKSAR Government's work on the building of "Beautiful Bays" and introduced the biological water quality indicator "Phytoplankton Community Integrity Index" developed by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD). He also had an in-depth discussion with the Mainland experts on the development of assessment standards applicable to estuarine bay areas for monitoring, addressing and managing nutrient enrichment in coastal and estuarine waters.

During his visit to Beijing, Dr Chui also met with representatives of the BRI International Green Development Coalition and the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to explore collaboration on environmental technologies, aiming to jointly achieve the goal of high-quality green and sustainable development under the Belt and Road Initiative. Dr Chui was also invited to attend the launching ceremony of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers' 50th anniversary event "Hong Kong Engineering Legacy Exhibition@Capital" yesterday (April 20). He shared at the ceremony the EPD's experience in winning the Grand Award in the Innovation Category (2010-present) of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers' 50th Anniversary Legacy Award for its Territory-wide Sewage Surveillance Programme.

Source: AI-found images