Customs announced on Friday that they had intercepted a significant gold bullion smuggling operation at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) on Tuesday.

About 145 kilograms of suspected gold bullion, valued at approximately HK$110 million, were seized in what is now the largest gold smuggling case in terms of volume and market value ever recorded by customs.

The discovery was made during a routine risk assessment on Tuesday (Mar 25) when Customs officials inspected an outbound air cargo shipment that was declared as containing plastic luggage destined for Japan.

Customs officials noticed discrepancies in an X-ray scan, where the actual weight of the shipment exceeded what was declared.

The inspection took place at the Customs Cargo Examination Compound at HKIA. Upon examining the shipment, officers uncovered the gold bullion hidden within 14 carton boxes of luggage.

The smuggling syndicate had meticulously concealed the gold bullion within the suitcases, employing seven layers of packaging.

This complex method of packing and declaring the contents was intended to evade customs scrutiny and reduce the likelihood of the shipment being inspected.

Customs officials estimated the syndicate could have evaded duties amounting to HK$11 million by smuggling the gold bullion to Japan.

The authorities are currently investigating the backgrounds of both the shipper and the recipient, as well as the origin and destination of the goods.

They have not ruled out the possibility of making arrests in connection with this case.

Sources: The Standard