Hong Kong bookseller Waiting Bird says Customs seized more than 60 books ordered from Taiwan; bookseller says October 29 reply gave no reason, representations filed seeking return

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According to a public statement by Hong Kong bookseller Waiting Bird (候鳥香港有限公司) on November 2, 2026, a shipment of books it ordered from Taiwan, due on October 13, arrived on October 20 as only about half a box instead of the expected two boxes, with more than 60 books seized by Customs. The bookseller said a seizure receipt obtained from its carrier cited section 13B(1) of Schedule 3 to the Implementation Rules for Article 43 of the Hong Kong National Security Law; Customs subsequently confirmed taking the missing books and gave a brief written reply on October 29, but did not explain the reasons for the seizure. The bookseller said it has filed written inquiries and representations disputing that the books have a seditious intention and requesting their return; its statement reports no forfeiture order. Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) also relayed the case the same day, saying Customs seized 60 books and gave no explanation. What this record verifies is the publication of the bookseller statement and the reporting that carried it; the reasons for the seizure and the contents of the books rest so far only on the bookseller account, hence under ongoing verification. [1][2]

Why it matters

This seizure is worth recording for three reasons. First, it is a recent application of Customs seizure powers that took effect on March 23, 2026: under the government explanatory paper and the amendment text, Customs officers exercising functions at specified locations may seize articles reasonably suspected of having a seditious intention; an owner or other eligible claimant may make written representations within 60 days of seizure, and if Customs maintains that the articles should be forfeited it must apply to a magistrate, who must hold a hearing, while articles are forfeited under the rules where no representations are made — the bookseller is acting within that framework by filing representations seeking return. Second, the case arises against a background of mounting pressure on Hong Kong independent bookshops, with staff of several shops arrested or searched on sedition allegations in March, June and July 2026 and continuing uncertainty over which publications may be treated as problematic; this seizure targets imported books at the customs-clearance stage rather than sales inside a shop, showing the control point moving to importation. Third, the procedure itself leaves follow-up points that will determine the character of the seizure: whether the bookseller representations are accepted, whether the books are returned, or whether a forfeiture hearing follows; as of this record, Customs has not publicly explained the reasons beyond confirming that it took the books and giving the October 29 brief reply, and this record does not prejudge whether the books have a seditious intention. [1][2]

Full report

According to Sentinel Defenders Network on November 2, 2026, carrying the bookseller public statement: the Taiwan-ordered shipment was due on October 13 but arrived on October 20 as only about half a box of books instead of the expected two boxes. The bookseller said a seizure receipt obtained from its carrier cited section 13B(1) of Schedule 3 to the Implementation Rules for Article 43 of the Hong Kong National Security Law; Customs subsequently confirmed taking the missing books and gave a brief written reply on October 29, but did not explain the reasons for the seizure. The bookseller said it has filed written inquiries and representations disputing that the books have a seditious intention and requesting their return; its statement reports no forfeiture order. The report also sets out the legal framework: the seizure powers came from amendments effective March 23, 2026, under which, according to the government explanatory paper and the amendment text, Customs officers exercising functions at specified locations may seize articles reasonably suspected of having a seditious intention; an owner or other eligible claimant may make written representations within 60 days of seizure, and if Customs maintains that the articles should be forfeited it must apply to a magistrate, who must hold a hearing, while articles are forfeited under the rules where no representations are made. [1]

Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) relayed the case in a social media post on November 2, saying Hong Kong Customs seized 60 books imported from Taiwan by the prisoner support group Waiting Bird on suspected seditious intention and gave no explanation, against a background of independent bookshop closures and growing concerns over free speech in Hong Kong. The CHRD post gives no book list or seizure-document details, and its figure of 60 books differs slightly in wording from the bookseller statement of more than 60 books; this record reports both wordings without reconciling them. The boundary must be stated plainly: in the public information available, the seizure itself rests on the bookseller statement and reporting that carried it, and even the account of Customs confirming that it took the books comes via the bookseller; no separate public explanation by Customs, no list or contents of the seized books, and no outcome of the bookseller representations have been seen in public reporting as of this round, and this record will continue to follow them. [1][2]

Verification note and deduplication: the core facts of this record — the bookseller statement of November 2; the shipment due October 13 arriving October 20 as only about half a box; the legal provision cited on the carrier seizure receipt; the October 29 brief Customs reply confirming that the books were taken but giving no reason; and the bookseller written representations seeking return with no forfeiture order mentioned — come from the Sentinel Defenders Network report of November 2 (carrying the bookseller public statement and citing the government explanatory paper and amendment text) and the CHRD social media post of November 2, with the bookseller account attributed throughout. The Hong Kong bookshop records previously carried by this site concern in-shop searches and arrests in March, June and July 2026, which differ in fact from this customs-stage seizure of imported books and are not duplicated here. This record is graded under ongoing verification and will follow the outcome of the bookseller representations and any forfeiture hearing. [1][2]

Primary sources

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