The Macau Customs Service announced in a statement on Sunday that its officers have busted four smuggling cases in three days.
According to the statement, customs officers seized a total 208 kilogrammes of uninspected fruit, 30 used smart phones, 20 computer hard drives and two bottles of Mou Tai last week.
Local customs identified the five smugglers as being aged 32 and 35-year-old from the Chinese mainland and local residents.
On Tuesday, Macau customs officers at the Barrier Gate checkpoint noticed a woman and a man each with an abnormally stiff gait. An inspection revealed 10 computer hard drives were hidden in the man’s umbrella and two bottles of Mou Tai concealed in a plastic bag the women’s had recycled from another food item, as well as 10 computer hard drives wrapped around the man’s abdomen and in his trouser pockets, to be smuggled into the mainland.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, customs officers at the Barrier Gate checkpoint noticed a man with a bulging waist. An inspection revealed 30 used smart phones wrapped around his abdomen, to be smuggled into the mainland.
Moreover, on Thursday, Macau customs officers at the Barrier Gate intercepted a cross-border lorry in the inbound lane. An inspection revealed 208 kilogrammes of uninspected fruit to be smuggled into Macau, resulting in the arrest of a woman and man.
According to Macau’s External Trade Law, the three people who smuggled electronic products and liquor face a maximum fine of 50,000 patacas each, while the seized contraband has been confiscated. The case involving the fruit smuggler has been transferred to the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) for further investigation and disposal of the fruit.
Zhuhai Customs seizes 27 tonnes of plastic pellets
Meanwhile, Zhuhai Wanzai Customs announced in a statement yesterday that its officers at the Hongwan Port cargo entry channel intercepted a batch of plastic pellets. The shipment, identified as solid waste prohibited from entering the country by national regulations, weighed 27 tonnes.
In April, according to the statement, a company declared a shipment of “recycled polystyrene pellets” imported from Thailand to Wanzai Customs. During an on-site inspection, customs officers found that the pellets were uneven in size, had rough cuts, and emitted a pungent odour, raising suspicions that they might be solid waste. Samples were subsequently taken and sent for laboratory analysis. On July 12, the Guangzhou Customs Technology Centre confirmed that the pellets were indeed solid waste. The shipment has now been returned to its origin.
According to the “Solid Waste Pollution Prevention and Control Law of the People’s Republic of China”, the import of solid waste in any form is prohibited. Besides, the law forbids the dumping, stacking, or disposal of solid waste from outside the Chinese mainland. Those who violate these regulations, the customs authorities will order the return of the waste to their country of origin and impose heavy fines; if the incident constitutes a crime, criminal liability will be pursued in accordance with the law.
This undated handout photo provided by Macau Customs Service on Sunday shows 10 computer hard drives and two bottles of Mou Tai seized by custom officers at the Barrier Gate checkpoint.
This undated handout photo provided by Zhuhai Wanzai Customs yesterday shows 27 tonnes of plastic pellets in bags seized by customs officers at Hongwan Port.
