HONG KONG Customs confiscated 29 tonnes of endangered wood estimated to be worth HK$1.15 million (US$146,500) in a shipping container that arrived from Honduras, reports the South China Morning Post. The haul of suspected Guatemalan rosewood was the fifth major wood-smuggling case detected by customs officers in the city this year, bringing the total seizure of high-value wood in 2018 to 114 tonnes. That represents a 170 per cent increase compared with the 42 tonnes seized in the whole of last year.

This follows the June 5 seizure of 5.7 tonnes of red sandalwood estimated to be worth HK$6.9 million hidden in a shipping container from Malaysia.

On April 19, customs officers confiscated 23.8 tonnes of Honduran rosewood worth HK$2.4 million in a container from Honduras.

In February, 5.26 tonnes of Thailand rosewood was found hidden in two shipping containers from Thailand, valued at HK$3.6 million.

On January 16, a consignment of 29 tonnes of Honduran rosewood worth HK$2.9 million was found in a container from Guatemala.