The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) today (January 11) removed one storage type electric water heater model from the record of listed models under the Energy Efficiency (Labelling of Products) Ordinance. Supply of such a product is no longer allowed in Hong Kong with immediate effect.

     Details of the product are as follows:
 
Storage type electric water heater

 
     The EMSD administers the Mandatory Energy Efficiency Labelling Scheme in accordance with the Ordinance and selects samples of the listed models regularly for conducting compliance monitoring tests to check whether they conform with the energy efficiency and performance characteristics submitted to the EMSD. As the test result of the product concerned showed that it failed to reach the relevant energy efficiency and/or performance characteristics, the EMSD has decided to remove such a product from the record of listed models.

     The EMSD has served a notice under the Ordinance to the importer concerned. The importer will publish a newspaper notice to announce the termination of supply of the product concerned.

     Members of the public can contact the above importer for enquiries.

    

Attention TV and radio duty announcers:

     Please broadcast the following special announcement as soon as possible, and repeat it at suitable intervals:

     A fire broke out at a recycling site on Ho Suen Street in Pillar Point at 1.13pm today (January 11). The Fire Services Department is conducting a firefighting operation. 

     Members of the public who are being affected by the smoke and an unusual odour carried by the wind are advised to close their doors and windows and stay calm.
 

     Hong Kong Customs yesterday (January 10) mounted an anti-smuggling operation in the vicinity of Tai O, Lantau Island, and detected a suspected smuggling case using speedboats. About 3 100 kilograms of suspected smuggled lobsters, with an estimated market value of about $1.24 million, were seized. 

     Customs officers yesterday conducted an anti-smuggling operation in the vicinity of Tai O and observed five electric tricycles loaded with goods moving slowly towards the seashore. Also, some men were seen gathering at the seashore. Later, two suspicious speedboats were seen heading towards the seashore with its navigation lights off, and two of the electric tricycles approached the seashore immediately. The drivers of the two tricycles and the above-mentioned persons quickly transferred the goods from the vehicles onto the speedboats, and were suspected of engaging in smuggling activities. 

     Customs officers immediately took action, and the above-mentioned persons and the two tricycle drivers swiftly jumped onto the speedboat and fled to Mainland waters. The rest of the drivers abandoned their tricycles and ran away from the scene.

     During the operation, Customs officers seized about 3 100kg of suspected smuggled lobsters. Five electric tricycles, all suspected to be involved in the case, were also detained.

     An investigation is ongoing. 

     Customs will continue to take stringent enforcement actions against cross-boundary smuggling activities through 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.
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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/).

    

     Police today (January 11) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Tin Shui Wai.

     Ng Wai-hon, aged 43, went missing after he was last seen at a care centre in Tin Wah Estate on December 27, 2023 morning. Staff of the care centre made a report to Police on the next day (December 28).

     He is about 1.65 metres tall, 60 kilograms in weight and of medium build. He has a square face with yellow complexion and black and blonde curly hair in shoulder length. He was last seen wearing a green jacket, a black short-sleeved T-shirt, black trousers and black shoes.

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of New Territories North on 3661 3113 or email to rmpu-ntn-1@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

  

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (January 11) that an aquatic product processed in a regulated Japanese prefecture was suspected to be in breach of the relevant Food Safety Order when the CFS inspected a consignment of food imported from Japan. The product concerned has been marked and sealed by the CFS and has not entered the market. The CFS is following up on the case.

     A spokesman for the CFS said, "During an inspection of the food label of the concerned consignment of food imported from Japan, the CFS found four boxes of frozen scallops suspected to have been processed in Chiba Prefecture after the Order was issued. The importer concerned is thus suspected of breaching the relevant Order."

     According to the Order, all aquatic products originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, are prohibited from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong if they are harvested, manufactured, processed or packed on or after August 24, 2023, including all live, chilled, frozen, dried or otherwise preserved aquatic products, sea salt, and unprocessed or processed seaweed.

     The CFS will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action, including informing the Japanese authorities concerned of the incident. Prosecution will be instituted against the importer concerned should there be sufficient evidence. The investigation is ongoing.