The Macau Customs Service said in a statement on Friday that it seized 4-million-patacas worth of goods from an industrial building in the northern district on the previous day.
According to the statement, customs officers had been monitoring parallel traders’ activities and located an industrial building in the northern district and then decided to take action on Thursday. The statement noted that the officers confiscated 8,000 beauty products estimated to be worth about 4.15 million patacas. The statement said evidence showed that the person in charge had been illegally hiring people to move products over the border.
The statement said that during the operation, the customs officers discovered that the parallel traders had lookouts outside the industrial building. The statement noted that the parallel traders used social media apps to get new members, and all business transactions took place online, adding that customers who wanted to pick up their products in person needed to scan a QR code prior to entering the building. The statement underlined that the layout of the unit is “complicated”, which increased the difficulty for custom officers to monitor.
The statement noted that three people, two males and a female, were arrested for breaching the External Trade Law, adding that two of them were in charge of the unit, while the other person was a parallel trader. The statement underlined that they could face a fine up to 50,000 patacas each.
The statement also said that as the three people are mainlanders holding either mainland travel permits to Macau or blue cards (non-resident work permits), they have breached local labour laws, and the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) has been following up on the matter. The statement pointed out that two of them have now been barred from entering Macau as they have engaged in activities here that “obviously” deviated from the permitted purposes of their travel permits to Macau.
Meanwhile, the statement noted that recently 10 more people have been barred from entering Macau due to the same reason – parallel trading.
The statement underlined that in order to lower the risk of the novel coronavirus spreading to the city, the Macau Customs Service has been strictly following the government’s COIVD-19 pandemic prevention and control measures and has all the imported goods completely disinfected before entering Macau.
The Macau Customs Service urged residents not to engage in parallel trading activities as nearby cities and regions’ COVID-19 pandemic situation has worsened, adding that if they find any suspicious activities, residents can call 2896 5001 to report.
This undated handout photo provided by the Macau Customs Service on Friday shows the 8,000 confiscated goods worth about 4.15 million patacas from the industrial building in the northern district.
