FEHD and Police raid unlicensed barbeque sites at Kau Wa Keng

     The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) conducted a joint blitz operation with the Police last night (May 14) against barbeque sites involving in operating unlicensed food premises at Kau Wa Keng, Kwai Tsing District. Stringent enforcement actions on the requirements and directions under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F) (the Regulation) for catering business premises were also taken.

     During the operation, the FEHD arrested one person and initiated procedure on prosecution for operating unlicensed food premises in one barbeque site, and seized relevant paraphernalia and 38 kilogrammes of barbeque food. Since January this year, the FEHD has initiated 23 prosecutions (including 13 arrests) against operators of barbeque sites involving in unlicensed food premises at Kau Wa Keng.

     During the joint operation with the Police on March 26, the FEHD arrested two persons and initiated procedures on prosecution for operating unlicensed food premises in two barbeque sites at Kau Wa Keng, among them one person was also found violating the Regulation relating to the requirement that no more than four persons may be seated together at one table at catering premises. The defendant was convicted at Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts on May 12 and sentenced to four weeks' imprisonment and a fine of $30,000 for operating unlicensed food premises, and sentenced to four weeks' imprisonment and a fine of $10,000 for violating the requirement under the Regulation. The two sentences are to run concurrently.

     A spokesman for the FEHD said, "The department will continue to take stringent enforcement actions against unlicensed food premises. According to the Food Business Regulation (Cap. 132X), anyone operating an unlicensed food business commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months. A maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months, upon conviction, may also be imposed on catering premises operators for violating the Regulation."

     The spokesman stressed that the FEHD will continue to step up inspections at catering premises across the territory and conduct joint operations with the Police when necessary to ensure that catering business operators and members of the public strictly comply with relevant regulations. Stringent enforcement actions will be taken against offenders to minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in catering premises.