The Transport Department today (January 12) invites tenders for a contract for the provision of traffic equipment (Contract No. TD(T) 8/2023).

     The contract mainly involves the provision of auxiliary devices at signalised pedestrian crossings for enhancing pedestrian safety. Prospective tenderers should make reference to the technical specifications when proposing the auxiliary device. The delivery and testing shall be completed within 24 weeks from the commencement of the contract.

     Interested parties can obtain the tender documents and other particulars from the Traffic Control Division of the Transport Department on 14/F, South Tower, West Kowloon Government Offices, 11 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon.

     Tenders should be placed in the Government Logistics Department Tender Box located at the G/F, North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong. Submission of tenders will be closed at noon on February 22, 2024 (Thursday).

     For enquiries, please call 3842 6168.
 

     â€‹Hong Kong Customs and Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) yesterday (January 10) mounted joint anti-smuggling operations at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port and detected a suspected smuggling case involving a cross-boundary private car. A total of about 110 000 suspected illicit cigarettes, with a total estimated market value of about $390,000 and a duty potential of about $280,000, were seized. A 38-year-old man was arrested during the operation.

     Through risk assessment and intelligence exchange, Customs officers and Police officers intercepted an inbound private car, declared to be empty, at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port last night. Upon inspection, Customs officers seized the batch of suspected illicit cigarettes at the passenger seat, rear seat and the boot of the private car. Police also discovered that the vehicle was suspected of using a forged vehicle registration mark. At the same time, the male driver failed the Rapid Oral Fluid Test. 

     The male driver was subsequently arrested for importing unmanifested cargo, using false instrument and drug driving, whereas the cross-boundary private car was also detained for further investigation.

     Customs will continue to combat cross-boundary smuggling activities with firm enforcement action based on risk assessment and intelligence analysis.

     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.

     Customs reminds members of the public that it is an offence to buy or sell illicit cigarettes. Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, anyone involved in dealing with, possession of, selling or buying illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years.

     Additionally, under Cap. 374 the Road Traffic Ordinance, any person found guilty of, with intent to deceive forges, or alters, or uses, or lends to or allows to be used by any other person, a document or other thing to which this subsection applies is liable to a fine of $10,000 and imprisonment for 3 years.

     Police reiterates that using a false instrument is a serious offence, any person found guilty of making use of the offence of using a false instrument is liable to imprisonment. Police will continue to conduct stringent enforcement actions against related traffic offences to safeguard road safety.

     Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

  

     Hong Kong Customs yesterday (January 10) seized over 3 100 kilograms of suspected scheduled dried shark skins and over 140 kg of suspected scheduled dried shark fins with a total estimated market value of about $600,000 at the Kwai Chung Customhouse Cargo Examination Compound. This is the first time for Customs to seize shark species that have been newly added to schedule I to the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap. 586) since the amendments of the schedule came into effect on December 15, 2023.

     Through risk assessment, Customs officers yesterday selected a 40-foot seaborne container, arriving in Hong Kong from Oman for inspection and found the batch of dried shark skins and dried shark fins suspected to be scheduled under the Ordinance inside the container. 

     The case was handed over to the AFCD for follow-up investigation.

     Under the Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing, exporting, or possessing any endangered species without a required licence is liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for 10 years. For licensing requirements for the species listed on different appendices, members of the public may visit the website: www.cites.hk. For enquiries, please contact the AFCD through email (hk_cites@afcd.gov.hk) or call 1823.
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     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) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

  

     The Opening Ceremony of the "Infinite Creativity in Art" Exhibition, jointly organised by the Labour and Welfare Bureau (LWB), the Social Welfare Department (SWD), the Arts Development Fund for Persons with Disabilities (the Arts Fund) and Sun Museum, was held today (January 11).

     The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Yan Chai Hospital and Founding Director of Simon Suen Foundation, Mrs Mary Suen, officiated at the ceremony. The Permanent Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Ms Alice Lau; the Director of Social Welfare, Miss Charmaine Lee; and the Commissioner for Rehabilitation of the LWB, Miss Vega Wong, also attended.

     Addressing the opening ceremony, Mr Sun said that the exhibition showcased art pieces created by persons with disabilities to promote public understanding of their artistic potential and talent. While admiring the art pieces, members of the public may feel the creative journey of persons with disabilities and understand how they overcome the challenges all the way. The public may also gain a better understanding of how persons with disabilities unleash their artistic talent with their unique perspectives and presentation skills.

     To promote the artistic development of persons with disabilities and foster their artistic attainments, the SWD set up the Arts Fund in March 2019 to provide funding to eligible organisations to organise various types of arts projects for persons with disabilities, and provide professional arts tutors, related materials and technical support services so that continuous training can be offered to those with potential. Up till now, the Arts Fund has approved a total grant of over $57 million, funding 95 projects in 64 service units.

     As the first exhibition under the Arts Fund which showcases the artworks created by persons with disabilities to the public, the exhibition aims to promote public understanding and recognition of the artistic potential of persons with disabilities and foster disability inclusion using art as a catalyst.

     The exhibition showcases about 200 art pieces created by persons with disabilities, including about 140 paintings and about 60 handicrafts. The forms of the artworks are diverse, which cover not only paintings, such as ink painting, watercolour, pastel and oil painting, but also handicrafts, such as ceramics, tie-dyeing, mosaic and fabric products. Some of the art pieces are created by groups to show team spirit.

     The exhibition, which will be open to the public for free from tomorrow (January 12) to March 16, is staged at Sun Museum on the 4/F, SML Tower, 165 Hoi Bun Road, Kwun Tong, Kowloon. The opening hours of the museum are from 10am to 6pm from Tuesday to Saturday (closed on Sundays, Mondays and public holidays). Interested organisations may make an appointment online (www.en.sunmuseum.org.hk/) or contact Sun Museum at 2690 6790 for enquiries.

                

     â€‹Hong Kong Customs today (January 11) detected a suspected money laundering case involving about $7.4 million of crime proceeds, subsequent to a follow-up financial investigation on a smuggling case identified in 2022. A 35-year-old man suspected to be connected with the case was arrested.

     This is the first time for Customs to arrest persons suspected of smuggling endangered species under money laundering charges after the inclusion of certain offences under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap. 586) to the Schedule 1 to the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance (OSCO) (Cap.455) in August 2021.

     In July 2022, Customs detected a sea smuggling case in which three men suspected to be connected with the case were arrested and a batch of goods, including suspected scheduled live corals, was seized. A subsequent financial investigation revealed that the personal bank accounts of a 35-year-old man, one of the arrestees, had numerous suspicious transactions with over 700 counterparties between April 2021 and September 2023. The funds, amounting to about $7.4 million, were suspected to be crime proceeds connected with the smuggling case.

     Customs arrested the man today for "dealing with property known or reasonably believed to represent proceeds of an indictable offence" (commonly known as money laundering) under the OSCO, and raided his residential premises in Tsing Yi. A mobile phone, a batch of bank cards and bank documents were seized. 

     The arrested person has been released on bail pending investigation. An investigation is ongoing and the likelihood of further arrests is not ruled out.

     Under the OSCO, a person commits an offence if he or she deals with any property knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that such property in whole or in part directly or indirectly represents any person's proceeds of an indictable offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and imprisonment for 14 years while the crime proceeds are also subject to confiscation.

     Members of the public may report any suspected money laundering activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).