Police today (December 21) appealed to the public for information on a woman who went missing in Kwai Chung. Tso Ha, aged 57, went missing after she left her residence in Tai Wo Hau Estate … read more
Hong Kong Customs yesterday (December 20) detected a suspected smuggling case involving a cross-boundary coach at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point and seized a batch of suspected smuggled goods including about 150 kilograms of bird’s nests and 710 boxes of suspected pharmaceutical products with a total estimated market value of about $7.8 million.
Based on risk assessment, Customs yesterday intercepted an outgoing coach at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point. Upon inspection, Customs officer found the batch of suspected smuggled goods being concealed inside the space underneath the walkway of the coach.
A 52-year-old male driver was arrested. He has been charged for attempting to export unmanifested cargo, attempting to export prohibited articles not under and in accordance with an export licence, possession of poison included in Part 1 of the Poisons List and possession of antibiotics. The case will be brought up at the Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (December 22).
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. In addition, under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person who exports pharmaceutical products and medicines without a valid export licence commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for two years.
Under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, any person who possesses any poison included in Part 1 of the Poisons List other than in accordance with provisions commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for two years.
Under the Antibiotics Ordinance, any person who possesses any substance to which the Ordinance applies or any preparation of which any such substance is an ingredient or part commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for 12 months.
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). read more
​Hong Kong Customs conducted an enforcement operation codenamed “Magpie” in various districts between December 5 and 20 to combat illegal activities involving party room operators providing infringing karaoke songs to customers in the course of business. A total of seven sets of karaoke players used for playing suspected infringing songs, one set of a game console with suspected pirated electronic games, and a batch of televisions and audio and video equipment were seized. The total estimated market value is approximately $150,000.
Through intelligence analysis and with the assistance of copyright owners, Customs earlier identified a number of party rooms suspected of possessing and providing infringing karaoke songs to customers in the course of business. Customs officers then took enforcement action and raided seven party rooms in Kwun Tong, Tuen Mun, Lai Chi Kok and Kwai Chung where the batch of suspected infringing items and relevant equipment were seized.
During the operation, three men and two women, aged between 25 and 41, were arrested for being suspected of contravening the Copyright Ordinance. Four of them are persons-in-charge while the other is a staff member. An investigation is ongoing and the five arrested persons have been released on bail pending further investigation.
Customs reminds business operators to comply with the Ordinance and to make enquiries to copyright owners on matters relating to the use of musical visual recordings in the course of business.
Customs will continue to step up inspection and enforcement to vigorously combat different kinds of infringing activities in order to safeguard the rights of copyright owners.
Under the Ordinance, any person, who without the licence of the copyright owner of a copyright work, possesses infringing copies of a copyright work for the purpose of, or in the course of, any trade or business with a view to it being used by any person 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 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).
In view of the cold weather, the Home Affairs Department has opened 18 temporary shelters in various districts today (December 21) for people in need of the service. The temporary shelters will remain open when the Cold Weather Warning is in force.
To ensure that cold shelter users can rest in a quiet and undisturbed environment, members of the public or agencies wishing to make donations to shelter users are requested to register with the staff of the shelter first. Donors will then be directed to place the donated items at a specified indoor location. The staff will help notify the shelter users to collect the items on their own.
Anyone seeking temporary refuge or with any questions about the donation arrangements at the cold shelters may call the department’s hotline 2572 8427 for more information.
The 18 temporary cold shelters are located at:
Hong Kong Island:
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Central and Western:
Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall
3/F, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex,
2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun
Eastern:
Causeway Bay Community Centre
3/F, 7 Fook Yum Road, Causeway Bay
Southern:
Lei Tung Community Hall
Lei Tung Estate, Ap Lei Chau
Wan Chai:
Wan Chai Activities Centre
LG/F, Wan Chai Market, 258 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai
Kowloon:
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Kowloon City:
Hung Hom Community Hall
1/F, Kowloon City Government Offices,
42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom
Kwun Tong:
Lam Tin (West) Estate Community Centre
71 Kai Tin Road, Lam Tin
Sham Shui Po:
Nam Cheong District Community Centre
1 Cheong San Lane, Sham Shui Po
Wong Tai Sin:
Tsz Wan Shan (South) Estate Community Centre
45 Wan Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan
Yau Tsim Mong:
Henry G Leong Yaumatei Community Centre
60 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei
New Territories:
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Islands:
Tung Chung Community Hall
G/F, Tung Chung Municipal Services Building, 39 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung
Kwai Tsing:
Tai Wo Hau Estate Community Centre
15 Tai Wo Hau Road, Kwai Chung
North:
Cheung Wah Community Hall
Cheung Wah Estate, Fanling
Sai Kung:
Hang Hau Community Hall
G/F, Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex,
38 Pui Shing Road, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O
Sha Tin:
Lung Hang Estate Community Centre
Lung Hang Estate, Sha Tin
Tai Po:
Tai Po Community Centre
2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po
Tsuen Wan:
Lei Muk Shue Community Hall
G/F, Hong Shue House, Lei Muk Shue Estate, Tsuen Wan
Tuen Mun:
Butterfly Bay Community Centre
Butterfly Estate (near Tip Sum House), Tuen Mun
Yuen Long:
Long Ping Community Hall
Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long read more
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (December 21) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the Ministry of Agricul… read more