Tag Archives: China

     A ginseng and dried seafood shop and a manager were convicted and fined $8,000 and $4,000 respectively today (August 1) at Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts for supplying Korean ginseng to which a false trade description was applied, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO).

     Hong Kong Customs earlier received information and conducted a test-buy operation at a ginseng and dried seafood shop in Sham Shui Po where a box of a Korean brand of Korean ginseng valued at $2,800 was purchased.

     The product was confirmed after examination as not being the brand of ginseng produced by the Korean manufacturer.

     Customs reminds traders to comply with the requirements of the TDO and consumers to procure products at reputable shops.

     Under the TDO, any person who supplies goods with a false trade description in the course of trade or business, or is in possession of any goods for sale with a false trade description, commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.

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

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (August 1) investigating a food poisoning outbreak related to the consumption of wild mushrooms, and urged the public not to pick and eat wild mushrooms.
 
     The patients are two women aged 49 and 21 who developed abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea two to three hours after consuming wild mushrooms at home on July 23. Both were admitted to Yan Chai Hospital on the same day. They remained in a stable condition and have been discharged.

     Initial investigations revealed that the wild mushrooms consumed by the patients were picked near Butterfly Beach in Tuen Mun on July 21. The CHP’s investigation is ongoing.
 
     “Members of the public should not pick wild mushrooms for consumption as it is difficult to distinguish edible mushroom species from inedible ones,” a spokesman for the CHP said.
 
     “Mushroom poisoning is generally acute. Common presentations include gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain appearing shortly after ingestion. Depending on the mushroom species, patients may also have other symptoms like profuse sweating, hallucination, coma or other neurological symptoms, as well as liver failure. Death may result in severe cases,” he added.
 
     “If mushroom poisoning is suspected, the patient should seek immediate medical attention and bring along any available remnant for identification,” the spokesman said. read more

     A total of 70 photographs showing buildings and the streetscape of Nathan Road in the mid-1970s have been uploaded to the website of the Government Records Service (GRS) today (August 1). Members of the Hong Kong community are invited to view the pictures and take a walk down memory lane.
 
     “This set of photos brings back the collective memories of Nathan Road in the mid-1970s. We hope they can promote the appreciation of archival records,” a GRS spokesman said.
 
     The photographs were taken for recording the road conditions of the construction sites of the Mass Transit Railway from Prince Edward Station to Tsim Sha Tsui Station in the 1970s. They were transferred from the Lands Department. Some landmark buildings and household names, such as the Astor Theatre, Tai Lin and Bargain, which have faded out now reappear in these photographs. One can compare today’s economic vibrancy of Nathan Road with that in the 1970s.
 
     Members of the public can view these photographs at the Educational Resources Portal (www.grs.gov.hk/en/educational_resource_portal.html) under the GRS’ website. 
 
     The Educational Resources Portal contains topical guides, digitised holdings, online exhibitions and other resources for learning and teaching. It provides a resource-rich and easily accessible platform for web users to get to know the development of Hong Kong.

        

     Two Indian illegal workers, each holding a recognisance form, were jailed at Shatin Magistrates’ Courts yesterday (July 31).

     Immigration Department (ImmD) investigators received a referral from the Hong Kong Police Force to further investigate an illegal employment case in May. Enforcement officers arrested two male Indian illegal workers, aged 28 and 25, who were found doing renovation work in a shop in Yuen Long. Upon identity checking, they produced for inspection recognisance forms issued by the ImmD, which prohibit them from taking employment. Further investigation revealed that they were non-refoulement claimants.  

     The two illegal workers were charged at Shatin Magistrates’ Courts yesterday with taking employment after landing in Hong Kong unlawfully and remaining in Hong Kong without the authority of the Director of Immigration or while being a person in respect of whom a removal order or deportation order was in force. They pleaded guilty to the charges and were each sentenced to 16 months and three weeks’ imprisonment.

     The ImmD spokesman warned that, as stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, illegal immigrants or people who are the subject of a removal order or a deportation order are prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining in any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years’ imprisonment. The Court of Appeal has issued a guideline ruling that a sentence of 15 months’ imprisonment should be applied in such cases.
      
     The spokesman reiterated that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. The maximum penalty is imprisonment for three years and a fine of $350,000. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence. According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee’s identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker’s valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. The maximum penalty for failing to inspect such a document is imprisonment for one year and a fine of $150,000.
      
     Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) victims. When any TIP indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP elements, such as threat and coercion in the recruitment phase, and the nature of exploitation. Identified TIP victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent interference, medical services, counselling, shelter, temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP victims to report crimes to the relevant departments. read more

     The Water Supplies Department announced today (August 1) that owing to salt water pumping station maintenance works, the flushing water supply to some premises in Kowloon will be suspended from 9am to 6pm on August 4. &… read more