Man faces at least 4 years behind bars after Hong Kong conviction for smuggling scales of endangered pangolins into city

He added that, because of the large quantity involved, he would consider a penalty of “not less than four years” in prison.

Experts from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said the scales had an estimated value of between US$68,200 and US$220,440.

Lee added that prosecutors had also proved “the only and irresistible inference” that Hong, 52, colluded with others to import pangolin scales without a licence, whether knowingly or not.

But Hong’s co-accused, Huang Congmei, 55, walked free from court after the court accepted she was “honestly and reasonably” ignorant of the likely consequences of her actions.

The pair were charged with conspiring to import specimens of endangered species under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance.

Hong was also charged with possession of specimens of endangered species.

The court earlier heard that customs officials seized four consignments of parcels declared to contain mascara from Sarawak, Malaysia, between December 2018 and January 2019, addressed to Hong.

Hong Kong customs arrests 2 over alleged smuggling of protected animals and parts

The two were arrested on January 2 that year, after they had received a total of six parcels.

Customs officials found six more parcels containing pangolin scales in a later raid on a building in To Kwa Wan.

Both defendants had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Hong told police when interviewed that he had been asked by a friend in mainland China to pick up the parcels, with a 200 yuan (US$28) payment for each package.

He was instructed to take the parcels to the To Kwa Wan premises so his friend could pick them up.

Huang said she had offered to help Hong take the parcels to To Kwa Wan because she regarded him as a friend and they both came from Quanzhou in Fujian province on the mainland.

The case summary also showed that Huang could not read or write Chinese and was unable to understand the delivery notes on the parcels.

Hong Kong customs nets HK$4 million haul including aquarium animals

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources said all eight pangolin species are protected, with their status listed from “vulnerable” to “extremely endangered”.

Pangolins, whose scales are used in traditional Chinese medicine and Vietnamese medicine, are said to be the most poached and trafficked mammal species in the world.

Keith Fung Chun-wah, who appeared for Hong, told the court that the more than four year gap between the 2019 arrests and prosecution in July 2022 might constitute an unreasonable delay that was unfavourable to his client’s defence.

Lee adjourned the case until February 28 to consider Fung’s argument as a potential mitigating factor.

People convicted of importation of specimens of endangered species without a licence can be sentenced to up to 10 years in jail and a HK$10 million (US$1.28 million) fine.

The maximum prison sentence that can be imposed in the District Court is seven years.