Forget about cocaine and methamphetamine – it’s the illicit trade of infant formula that is bringing Hong Kong down, according to one magistrate.
When jailing a 30-year-old mainland woman – who was caught carrying 20 kilograms of powered milk across the Lok Ma Chau border on Jan. 31 – Fanling Court principle magistrate Bernadettte Woo said the situation is now “out of control”.
The woman will fester inside of a cell for a whole two weeks, by the way.
Since restrictions on carrying more than 1.8 kilograms baby formula across the border came into effect in March 2013, those being caught in violation of the rules have skyrocketed.
Around 2,400 cases of parallel trading, most of which involved the smuggling of cigarettes and milk formula, were reported in 2013, shooting up to 7,000 in 2014.
Since the baby milk formula ban came into force, more than 7,688 people have been arrested and a whopping total of 45,510 kilograms of the white stuff confiscated.
Of all those, only 69 have received jail terms ranging from one to 140 days, reports Ming Pao Daily.
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