In half of the of cases involving the smuggling of rhino horn and tiger bone, the contraband entered the mainland via Hong Kong. Previous NextNo wildlife traffickers have ever been prosecuted in Hong Kong for money laundering related offenses and no syndicates indicted for wildlife smuggling, although the city is a wildlife trading hub, a report says. The government has continued to fail to recognize wildlife crimes as specified offenses under the Organised and Serious Crimes Ordinance, says a report by University of Hong Kong law professor, Amanda Whitfort. The report says recognizing wildlife crimes as serious crimes, like other trafficking offenses, under the Organised and Serious Crimes Ordinance, would unleash the full force of investigative powers necessary to effectively combat Hong Kong’s increasingly serious wildlife trafficking problem. The study recommends amendig the Organised and Serious Crimes Ordinance, Cap 455, to include serious wildlife crimes as specified offenses..

Source: The Standard October 23, 2020 08:58 UTC