Zhuhai’s Gongbei Customs announced in a statement yesterday that its officers seized 623 grams of stony coral at Gongbei checkpoint on February 8.
On that day, customs officers noticed a Macau traveller behaving strangely and walking with a rigid gait when entering the Chinese mainland through the checkpoint’s “green channel” in the arrivals hall so they intercepted him for inspection.
Customs officers discovered 623 grams of suspected coral concealed in a yellow bag.
The Gongbei Customs Technology Centre later confirmed that the coral belongs to the order Scleractinia – commonly known as stony coral. All species within the order Scleractinia are listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and are classified as items prohibited from exiting or entering the Chinese mainland.
In the statement, Gongbei Customs reminded the public that according to CITES and the Wildlife Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), as well as the regulations on the import and export of endangered wild animals and plants, it is prohibited to trade, carry, or mail endangered species and their products across border checkpoints without legal import and export certificates. The statement noted that serious violations may lead to criminal liability.
This undated handout photo provided by Zhuhai’s Gongbei Customs yesterday shows stony corals seized by its officers at Gongbei checkpoint on February 8.
