Zhuhai’s Gongbei Customs announced in a statement yesterday that its officers seized 184 hermit crabs from a mainlander at the Gongbei border checkpoint last month.
According to the statement, on January 22 customs officers at Gongbei Port (border checkpoint) noticed a smuggler entering the Chinese mainland from Macau through the “Green Channel” in the passenger inspection hall. As his shopping bag had not been X-rayed, they decided to intercept him for inspection.
The inspection revealed 184 live hermit crabs in mesh bags concealed inside the smuggler’s shopping bag.
The statement said that he’s surnamed Tan.
According to the identification results from the Technical Centre of Gongbei Customs, all the live hermit crabs were Coenobita violascens (commonly known as Viola Land Hermit Crab).
In the statement, Gongbei Customs reminded the public that, in accordance with laws and regulations, taking live animals and plants into the Chinese mainland without approval is prohibited. Those who violate these provisions will be held legally responsible by Customs.
Zhuhai’s Gongbei customs seizes 10.7 tonnes of chicken feet
Zhuhai’s Gongbei Customs announced in a statement yesterday that its officers seized 10,700 kilograms of chicken feet at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) on February 2.
According to the statement, on that day customs officers inspecting a cross-border goods vehicle at the cross-delta bridge Zhuhai Port (checkpoint) Inbound Cargo Inspection Zone discovered that a shipment declared as “pvc pipes” was undeclared and, in fact, consisted of around 10.7 tonnes of frozen chicken feet, adding that the consignment only contained 87 kilograms of pvc pipes.
In the statement, Gongbei Customs reminded the public that according to relevant regulations, evading customs supervision by hiding and taking goods subject to customs duties into the mainland constitutes smuggling. If the circumstances are severe enough to constitute a crime, criminal liability will be pursued.
Considering that a chicken foot weighs, on average, 0.099 kilograms, the 10,700 kilograms of chicken feet seized by Gongbei Customs means that about 54,000 chickens were slaughtered to obtain the weight of the contraband.
This undated and pixelated handout photo provided by Zhuhai’s Gongbei Customs yesterday shows 184 hermit crabs seized from a smuggler from the Chinese mainland at Gongbei Port (checkpoint) on January 22.
This undated handout photo provided by Zhuhai’s Gongbei Customs yesterday shows a customs officer holding a cluster of chicken feet stuck together.
