(CN) Cobra smuggler dies after sea chase

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South China Morning Post

Friday, November 15, 2002

http://hongkong.scmp.com/hknews/ZZZLY2IAI8D.html

by CLIFFORD LO

 

A smuggler died and two others escaped after their boat, carrying

600 live and endangered cobras, collided with a police vessel in a

high-speed chase along the border early yesterday.

 

The cobras, believed bound for dining tables on the mainland, were

seized after the pursuit, during which boxes of the snakes were thrown at

police by the smugglers.

 

The chase began when officers from the Anti-Smuggling Task Force saw a

craft with twin 200-horse-power outboard engines off Sai Kung Country Park

during a routine patrol.

 

The seven-metre fibreglass boat with three men aboard was going more

than 90km/h towards the mainland, police said.

 

A high-speed police vessel was despatched with five officers aboard.

 

" The smugglers ignored our order, refused to stop and sailed at high

speed. It was sailing in a zig-zag route during the high-speed chase through

rough seas, " police said. " They made a number of dangerous manoeuvres and

threw boxes of cargo in front of our vessel in an apparent attempt to slow

down our boat. "

 

The chase lasted about 15 minutes, when the smugglers' boat made a

sudden turn and hit the police craft near the border east of Hong Kong.

 

One of the two outboard engines was knocked off and its body was

damaged. The aluminium police craft was slightly damaged.

 

" One of three alleged smugglers was hurled into water. When our

officers went to rescue him, the other two men jumped into the water to

escape, " the source said. " The pair swam across the border and were picked

up by another boat and sailed away. "

 

Mainlander Xu Jinfu, 38, who was suffering leg injuries when he was

rescued, was taken to Tseung Kwan O Hospital, where he was declared dead at

about 9am.

 

Twenty-seven boxes of cobras, worth more than $200,000 were found on

the smugglers' boat or in the water.

 

Another police source said initial investigations showed that the

consignment was believed to have been legally imported from Malaysia by

plane.

 

" We believe the cobras were bound for the mainland, where it is a

popular delicacy in many restaurants, " the source said. " There is a demand

for reptiles on the mainland, especially in the winter, because Chinese

people believe eating them is good for their health. "

 

The second source said they would seek help from mainland authorities

to track down the other smugglers.

 

A spokeswoman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation

Department said that there were about 600 endangered Asiatic cobras in more

than 60 bags and they weighed about 600kg in total.

 

The reptiles, probably the biggest seizure in recent years, were taken

to the animal management centre in Sheung Shui to be checked by vets.

 

The spokeswoman said the department would check to see if the

creatures were in good health and if farms and animal organisations would

take them.