Hong Kong Customs yesterday (June 14) conducted an operation to combat the sale of pirated software. A total of 301 sets of suspected pirated software and a batch of packaging materials with an estimated market value of about $340,000 were seized. Four persons were arrested.

     Customs earlier received information alleging the sale of suspected pirated software at shops in Sham Shui Po. After investigation, Customs officers conducted an operation yesterday and seized the batch of suspected pirated software at four retail shops in the district. A batch of packaging materials was also found in one of the shops.

     During the operation, two male shop owners and two salesman, aged between 22 and 41, were arrested.

     Investigation is ongoing and the arrested persons have been released on bail pending further investigation.

     Customs will continue to step up patrols to curb any form of infringing activity.

     Customs appeals to consumers to procure goods at reputable shops. They should check with the trademark owners or their authorised agents if the authenticity of a product is in doubt.

     Under the Copyright Ordinance, any person who sells or possesses for sale any infringing goods commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $50,000 per infringing copy and imprisonment for four years.

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

     The Lands Department (LandsD) announced today (June 15) that a site, Fanling Sheung Shui Town Lot No. 267 at On Chuen Street, On Lok Tsuen, Fanling, New Territories, in the 2018-19 Land Sale Programme will be disposed of by public tender. The tender invitation for the lot will commence on June 22 and close on July 20.
      
     Fanling Sheung Shui Town Lot No. 267 has a site area of about 3,765 square metres and the permissible uses are industrial; godown and ancillary office; office in direct support of an industrial operation; information technology and telecommunications industries; research, design and development centre; audio-visual recording studio; media design and media production; workshop for laundering, dry cleaning, tailoring or repair of goods; vehicle repair workshop, vehicle inspection centre or vehicle testing centre; cargo handling and forwarding facilities; showroom ancillary to factory; motor vehicle showroom on the ground floor; laboratory, inspection and testing centre; recyclable collection centre; and a combination of any of the permissible uses. The minimum gross floor area and the maximum gross floor area are 11,295 sq m and 18,825 sq m respectively, both excluding the gross floor area of a public vehicle park to be constructed by the purchaser under the Conditions of Sale.
      
     Land sale documents including the Form of Tender, the Tender Notice, the Conditions of Sale and the sale plan of the lot will be available for downloading from the LandsD website (www.landsd.gov.hk), and the sale plan will be available for distribution and inspection by the public from June 22, when the particulars of the tender will also be gazetted.
    

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (June 15) released the latest grading of water quality of 37 gazetted beaches and one non-gazetted beach (Discovery Bay) that are open for swimming.
        
     Twenty-six beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 10 as Fair (Grade 2) and two as Poor (Grade 3).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:                   

 
Grade 2 beaches are:

 
Grade 3 beaches are:

 
     Compared with the grading released last week, Discovery Bay has been upgraded from Grade 4 to Grade 1; Kadoorie Beach from Grade 2 to Grade 1.  Shek O Beach has been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2; Anglers' Beach and Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach from Grade 2 to Grade 3.
      
     "The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," an EPD spokesman said.
 
     Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades according to the level of E. coli in the water. Grades are calculated on the basis of the geometric mean of the E. coli counts on the five most recent sampling occasions.
      
     While the ratings represent the general water quality at the beaches, the EPD spokesman reminded members of the public that water quality could be temporarily affected during and after periods of heavy rain. Bathers should avoid swimming at beaches for up to three days after a storm or heavy rainfall.
      
     A summary of beach grades is published weekly before the weekend.  Latest beach grades based on the most current data may be obtained from the department's websites on Beach Water Quality (www.beachwq.gov.hk or www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.

     Police advise motorists that special traffic arrangements will be implemented in Sha Tin to facilitate the race meeting tomorrow (June 16).

     The arrangements will come into effect two hours before the start of the first race and will last until the crowds have dispersed after the race meeting.

     Appropriate traffic signs will be put up and police will be on hand to guide motorists.

     The Police also appeal to people going to Sha Tin Racecourse for the race meeting and to Happy Valley Racecourse for cross betting to make maximum use of public transport.

     Parking spaces at the two racecourses are available only to holders of appropriate permits issued by Hong Kong Jockey Club and any vehicles illegally parked will be towed away.

     The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) raided an unlicensed food factory at a premises at the junction of Hung Shui Kiu Tin Sam Road and Hung Yuen Road in Hung Shui Kiu, Yuen Long, last night (June 14).
 
     The unlicensed food factory was operated with a number of handcart stalls selling cooked food and seven handcart stalls were found operating on the premises. During the operation, FEHD officers seized seven handcart stalls, about 50 kilograms of raw and cooked food, and large quantities of cooking utensils. One man, who was suspected to be the proprietor of the premises, was arrested and charged with operating an unlicensed food factory.
 
     Under the Food Business Regulation (Cap 132X), anyone operating an unlicensed food factory commits an offence and is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months upon conviction.

     "The FEHD will continue to take stringent enforcement action against unlicensed food business," a spokesman for the FEHD said.
 
     "Members of the public can report any suspected unlicensed food business by calling the FEHD hotline 2868 0000."