June 19, 2006

Hong Kong tightens border controls to prevent poultry smuggling

Hong Kong has tightened checks at its borders to eradicate poultry smuggling after a truck driver was found infected by the H5N1 bird flu virus in mainland China.

More officers were deployed at Hong Kong's land border checkpoints and there was more thorough examination of suspicious cargoes and baggage at sea and air boundaries.

One of the border checkpoints, Lowu, is one of the heaviest land border crossings in the world, handling up to 17,000 people an hour during peak periods.

Five smugglers were caught trying to smuggle poultry across over the weekend.

Offenders face a maximum penalty of HK$50,000 ($6,400) and six months' jail.

Imports of live poultry from mainland China were suspended on Friday (Jun 16) after the truck driver, who lives in Shenzhen, was confirmed to be infected with the H5N1 virus.

China said there has been no record of outbreaks of bird flu in poultry in that city. .