Man jailed for smuggling pangolin scales

     A man was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment today (April 21) at the District Court after an earlier conviction for using air cargo to smuggle pangolin scales, in contravention of the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (PESO).

     Officers from Hong Kong Customs inspected an air consignment arriving from Nigeria at Hong Kong International Airport on August 17, 2018, and found about 56 kilograms of pangolin scales. A 38-year-old man in connection with the case was arrested.

     Under the PESO, any person found guilty of importing or exporting an endangered species without a licence is liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for 10 years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).