New | HK$8.9m worth of electronic goods seized after high-speed sea chase
Smugglers outrun police in twin-engined speedboats near Po Toi O
Seventy-five boxes of electronic goods worth an estimated HK$8.9 million have been seized from a local fishing boat after a high-speed sea chase off Sai Kung during an anti-smuggling operation, police say today.
According to police, five to six smugglers managed to escape towards the mainland in two speedboats, powered by two outboard engines, after they outran two police launches.
The seizure was made on Tuesday night as three police launches patrolled the sea off Sai Kung. Shortly before 8pm two speedboats were seen entering Hong Kong waters without navigation lights and berth near a stationary fishing boat in the sea off Po Toi O.
Several men were seen loading boxes of goods from the fishing boat onto the two speedboats.
As police moved in, the smugglers abandoned the fishing boat and fled in the two speedboats, assistant Marine East divisional commander, Chief Inspector MsWinsy Ng Wing-see, said. Two marine police launches gave chase.
“One round of flare was fired in the air to illuminate the area during the sea chase,” she said.
Officers seized 75 boxes of electronic goods – including tablet computers, mobile phones and computer hard disks – hidden in a concealed compartment on board the fishing boat. “The secret compartment was found under a frozen cargo hold which used to store fish with ice,” the chief inspector said.
Crime-squad officers are attempting to trace the owner of the fishing boat. So far, no one has been arrested.
