By Vir B. Lumicao
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| Some of the seahorses found in the tourists' luggage |
Three Filipino male tourists were sentenced today, Jan. 11,
to 18 months in jail after being convicted of bringing a huge amount of dried
shark fins and seahorses into Hong Kong in August 2019.
Hong Kong regulates the trade
in endangered species under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and
Plants Ordinance (Cap 586).
Jomar Goron, Aldrin Jay Lacuesta and Michael Roy Marcelino,
aged between 22 and 38 years old, were sentenced by District Court Judge Eddie
Yip, who presided over their four-day trial starting Dec 1 last year and found
them guilty on Dec 15.
Goron, Lacuesta and Marcelino, who were said to be frequent
travelers to Hong Kong, had pleaded not guilty to the charges. Their lawyers
said the accused did not know what was in their luggage as they were just paid
to deliver the goods here.
They were tried more than a year after their arrest on Aug
23, 2019 by Customs and Excise officers at the Hong Kong International Airport upon
their arrival from Manila with 180 kilos of dried shark fins and 500 grams of
dried seahorses.
The prosecution said during Customs clearance, the batch of
suspected scheduled dried shark fins and dried seahorses was found packed in 25
boxes that the three had checked in.
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| Shark's fin is a precious commodity in Hong Kong |
The prosecution of the case was handled by the Agriculture,
Fisheries and Conservation Department.
Goron and Lacuesta were charged with “importing specimens of
Appendix II species otherwise than in accordance with the provisions of the
ordinance”, referring to the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and
Plants Ordinance, for the shark fins.
Marcelino was charged with “importing specimens of Appendix
II species otherwise than in accordance with the provisions of section 11 of
Cap.586” for the dried seahorses.
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