Hong Kong adds wildlife trafficking to organised crime law

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Hong Kong passed a new law on Wednesday that classifies wildlife trafficking as an organised crime issue, a move welcomed by conservationists because it will give law enforcement wider powers to combat the trade.

With its busy port and transport links, Hong Kong has been thriving as a major transit point for illegal parts of endangered animals like elephants, rhinos and pangolins -- most of it headed for consumers in mainland China.

On Wednesday lawmakers added illicit wildlife smuggling to the city's Organised and Serious Crimes Ordinance, putting the trade on a par with drug and human trafficking.

The law, initially designed to combat the city's triad organised crime gangs, contains wide investigatory powers for the police and heavier sentences for those convicted.

Courts also have broader powers to confiscate the proceeds of organised crime.

Wildlife seizures have reached new peaks in the past two years, including a record 8.3 tonnes of pangolin scales as well as 2.1 tonnes of ivory, according to a legislative filing.