Customs Authorities Seize 9,000 Bottles of Smuggled Wine Headed to China

Photo shows some of the suspected smuggled goods seized (Photo: The Government of Hong Kong)

Customs authorities seized 9,000 bottles of smuggled wine that were on the way to mainland China. A massive raid at the Hong Kong border led to the seizure of more than HK$200 million (US$25.6 million) worth of smuggled goods including wine and champagne, along with other high-end illegal goods.

Vino Joy News reported that customs authorities in Hong Kong acted on intelligence from an undisclosed source and intercepted the two cargo vessels headed for Shanghai at Tsing Yi Container Terminal on Dec. 11 and 12. Authorities arrested five men aged between 38 and 54. 

The Hong Kong government released images of the contraband showing the wine mainly consists of thousands of bottles of the Australian wine brand Penfolds as well as Moet Champagne and Dassai Japanese sake. 

Sadly wine was not the only thing being smuggled. The vessels’ cargo also consisted of 22 tons of expensive and unethical food items such as dried shark fins. There were also electronic goods, vinyl records, medicine and even endangered species inside the containers. 

According to Vin Joy News, this is the second biggest sea smuggling case this year. Allegedly, smugglers are ramping up efforts to send tax-free expensive goods to mainland China because borders are still mostly closed due to the pandemic. 

According to Vino Joy, Hong Kong Customs seized 30,000 bottles of wine back in October. The Australian Penfolds brand was the majority of the wine during the previous seizure as well. 

The illegal importing of Australian wine may be due to China’s 218% punitive tariff that was imposed on Australian wine. 

The most recent case is still under investigation.

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