Smuggler carrying baby caught with 6kg of ivory at Hong Kong-Shenzhen border

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Smuggler carrying baby caught with 6kg of ivory at Hong Kong-Shenzhen border

Woman claims syndicates offering 'babies for hire' to smugglers in bid to avoid detection

PUBLISHED : Thursday, 16 April, 2015, 2:14pm
UPDATED : Thursday, 16 April, 2015, 5:28pm

Clifford Lo [email protected]

The woman and baby stand in from of a table displaying the confiscated ivory products. Photo: SCMP Pictures

A Hong Kong woman carrying her baby was arrested at a Shenzhen border checkpoint as she tried to smuggle 24 ivory products into mainland China after evading detection when she left the city.

The woman, aged in her early 20s, reportedly told mainland customs officers that she was advised to carry her child so she would receive less scrutiny on entering Shenzhen, according to a mainland newspaper.

“The woman reportedly said the ivory products were picked up in Hong Kong. The supplier promised her that she would be paid after the delivery,” the Guangzhou Daily said.

“The supplier suggested that she could escape detection if she carried a baby in her arms. She was also told a ‘rental of baby’ service could be provided and charged at HK$30 an hour.”

Two pieces of raw ivory and 22 ivory bracelets weighing 6kg in total were seized in a backpack she was carrying.

The consignment was the biggest seizure of ivory products at Shenzhen’s Huanggang border checkpoints, according to the report.

The Hong Kong resident attempted to pass through Huanggang at about 9pm on Monday but aroused customs officers’ suspicion because she was in a hurry, according to the newspaper. She was intercepted and asked to hand over her backpack for inspection, which she initially refused to do.

She reportedly told officers that the backpack was carrying baby products and she needed to cross the border for an urgent matter. But she subsequently handed over the backpack.

Under an X-ray examination, suspicious images were found in the backpack. The haul was discovered when officers opened the bag for inspection.

The mainland customs anti-smuggling squad is investigating.

Also on Monday, a middle-aged Hong Kong woman was arrested at a Shenzhen border checkpoint after mainland customs officers found more than HK$1.9 million in cash taped to her body and hidden in her shoes. She was trying to return to Hong Kong at the time of the incident.

Last Wednesday, mainland officers arrested seven Hong Kong residents who were carrying a total of US$43,500 and HK$42,000 in cash as they tried to return home through Lo Wu.