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Licence needed for import/export of strategic commodities
The Customs and Excise Department today (Tuesday) stressed that it is an offence to import or export strategic commodities without a licence.
A spokesman for the department made the appeal following a shipping company was fined $250,000 in Western Magistracy today after pleading guilty to one count of importing strategic commodities without a licence.
The strategic commodities involved were 603 specially designed components of artillery gun systems worth $9.5 million.
The court heard that in an investigation into a shipment of 710 wooden crates, manifested as "raw materials, finished products, spare parts and finished tools", on August 22 last year on board a vessel, officers of the Customs and Excise Department discovered that the shipment actually comprised tyres, sand and pebbles, lubricating oil and metal pieces of different sizes.
The metal pieces were later examined by a bomb disposal officer of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force, who confirmed that they were in fact specially designed components of artillery gun systems.
Based on the Police report and after examination, the Trade Department further confirmed that the goods were strategic commodities under the Munitions List of Schedule 1 to the Import and Export (Strategic Commodities) Regulations.
Follow-up investigations by officers of the Customs and Excise Department revealed that the shipping company was the local agent of the vessel and was responsible for the handling of cargo on board the vessel.
"The goods in question were intended to be transhipped to Syria. However, the import of the goods was not covered by any valid import licence," the spokesman said.
He pointed out that under the Import and Export Ordinance, no person shall import or export strategic commodities into and out of Hong Kong except under and in accordance with a licence granted by the Director-General of Trade.