Hong Kong Customs yesterday (April 3) seized about 91 kilograms of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about $100 million in Sha Tin. This is a record quantity for a seizure of suspected cocaine by Customs in town.

     During an anti-narcotics operation in Sha Tin yesterday afternoon, Customs officers intercepted a man and found about 4 kilograms of suspected cocaine inside his rucksack. The 41-year-old man was then arrested.

     After follow-up investigation, Customs officers escorted the arrested man to a residential premises nearby, where about 87kg of suspected cocaine as well as a batch of drug packaging paraphernalia were further seized.

     Customs believes a suspected dangerous drugs storage centre has been smashed.

     Investigation is ongoing.

     Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

     Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182, or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

  

     The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels (HKETO, Brussels) promoted Hong Kong at three events in Italy from April 1 to 4 (Italy time). The events were the Bologna Children's Book Fair (BCBF) from April 1 to 4, a briefing for students at Bocconi University in Milan on April 2 and the business seminar "Hong Kong: the engine driving the Asian economy" in Vicenza on April 3.
      
     On April 1, the Deputy Representative of HKETO, Brussels, Miss Fiona Chau, officiated at the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong Pavilion at the BCBF held in Bologna. As the world's leading professional fair for children's books, the BCBF is an ideal platform to promote Hong Kong's publishing and printing industry by showcasing its achievements and creativity to the world. 
      
     With the support of HKETO, Brussels and Create Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Publishing Federation and the Hong Kong Printers Association jointly set up the Hong Kong Pavilion with "Soaring Creativity" as the theme at the BCBF. In addition to showcasing Hong Kong's excellent books, printing techniques and electronic books, the Hong Kong Pavilion also aims to help Hong Kong publishers and printers develop new markets and facilitate exchanges with their counterparts worldwide. At the opening of the Hong Kong Pavilion, guests also enjoyed a popular Hong Kong food, Hong Kong-style waffles.
      
     The following day, Miss Chau gave a presentation to a group of 30 students at Bocconi University in Milan. The students, who will be visiting Hong Kong for in-company training from April 15 to 18, were particularly keen to hear more about Hong Kong and its career opportunities. During their visit to Hong Kong, the students will be divided into two separate groups, with one visiting companies in the fashion and retail industry and the other focusing on financial companies and institutions. 
      
     On April 3, Miss Chau spoke in Vicenza at the business seminar "Hong Kong: the engine driving the Asian economy", which was co-organised by HKETO, Brussels as well as Invest Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, together with two local partners, namely Nuovo Centro Estero Veneto and Made in Vicenza. Representatives of Italian companies spoke on their success stories of doing business in Hong Kong and the business seminar was followed by a networking lunch.
      
     Miss Chau outlined Hong Kong's unique advantages under "one country, two systems" and its fundamental strengths as a centre for finance, trade and logistics. She pointed out that Hong Kong enterprises and professionals can offer business networks and world-class services to help Italian enterprises to explore the vast opportunities provided by the Belt and Road Initiative as well as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development. With innovation and technology a major priority of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, innovative Italian companies can also find opportunities in Hong Kong, and the city's fertile start-up environment can help Italian entrepreneurs turn great ideas into reality.
      
     This was the third business seminar in Italy that HKETO, Brussels has taken part in this year, after seminars it co-hosted in Milan on January 17 and Pulsano on February 1.

        

     Hong Kong Customs yesterday (April 3) mounted an anti-smuggling operation and seized about 105 kilograms of suspected smuggled birds' nests with an estimated market value of about $3.5 million.

     Customs officers intercepted an outgoing private car at Shenzhen Bay Control Point yesterday afternoon and seized about 7kg of birds' nests on board the vehicle. The 42-year-old male driver was arrested and the private car was detained.

     After follow-up investigation, Customs officers further seized about 79kg and 19kg of birds' nests at an industrial building unit in Kwai Chung and a residential unit in Sham Shui Po respectively. A 47-year-old woman in the industrial building unit was arrested and a private car parked at the industrial building suspected to be involved in the case was also detained.

     Investigation is ongoing.

     Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

      

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

     The Legislative Council (LegCo) Committees will hold 27 open meetings during the week from April 8 to 13 in the LegCo Complex. Details of the meetings are available in the meeting schedule attached.
 
     The information in the meeting schedule is subject to change. Please refer to the "LegCo Calendar" on the LegCo Website (www.legco.gov.hk) for the latest details of meetings.
 
     Members of the public are welcome to observe open meetings of LegCo Committees. Interested individuals and groups are advised to make advance booking of seats by calling the LegCo Secretariat at 3919 3399 during office hours. Members of the public can also listen to or watch all open meetings via the "Webcast" system on the LegCo Website.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public to a press release issued by The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited on fraudulent website and phishing email, which has been reported to the HKMA. Hyperlink to the press release is available on the HKMA website for ease of reference by members of the public.
 
     Anyone who has provided his or her personal information to the website concerned or has conducted any financial transactions through the website should contact the bank concerned using the contact information provided in the press release, and report to the Police or contact the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012.