Media Coverage

HKU and Hong Kong Police Force Collaborate to Dismantle Illegal Agarwood Trafficking Gang

Between 2023 to 2024, a team of researchers from the Merilä Lab collaborated with the Hong Kong Police in a case involving illegal harvesting of the vulnerable and protected incense trees (Aquilaria sinensis) on Lamma Island. Leveraging Merilä Lab's cutting-edge biological identification techniques, the Police were able to positively confirm links between the suspects and the criminal activities, resulting in the sentencing of 10 criminals with sentencing ranging from 30 to 50 months in prison. This case is also extensively reported in the local news media.