â€‹Hong Kong Customs mounted an enforcement operation "Thunderbolt" in late May to combat illegal export of suspected controlled medicines. The operation smashed two syndicates that were attempting to illegally export controlled medicines. Four women were arrested.

     Through risk assessment, Customs officers in late May selected and inspected an outbound air parcel destined for Italy from Hong Kong at Hong Kong International Airport. Twenty-two tablets of suspected controlled medicines were found inside the parcel.

     After in-depth investigation, Hong Kong Customs successfully targeted two medicine smuggling sydicates, which were active in Mui Wo and San Po Kong respectively.

     Customs officers on June 3 arrested a 43-year-old woman suspected to be in connection with the case and seized about 6 000 tablets of suspected controlled medicines in the outbound air parcels mailed by her at Mui Wo Post Office. The officers raided a residential unit in Mui Wo on the same day. About 600 000 tablets of suspected controlled medicines were found in the unit and a 54-year-old woman suspected to be connected to the case was arrested. The two arrested persons have been released on bail pending further investigation.

     Later, Customs officers on June 15 arrested a 45-year-old woman suspected to be in connection with the case and seized about 10 000 tablets of suspected controlled medicines in the outbound air parcels mailed by her at Tsim Sha Tsui Post Office. The officers raided an industrial unit, suspected to be a storage centre, in San Po Kong on the same day. About 800 000 tablets of suspected controlled medicines were found in the unit and a 38-year-old woman suspected to be connected to the case was arrested. The two arrested persons are detained for investigation.

     Customs believes that the operation smashed two syndicates that were attempting to illegally export controlled medicines. The department will continue to maintain stringent law enforcement and close contact with relevant government departments and the logistics industry to combat illegal export of controlled medicines.

     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.

     Members of the public may report any suspected violation of the above-mentioned ordinances 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).

  

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department said today (June 16) that because of an oil spill, the red flag has been hoisted at Golden Beach in Tuen Mun District. The beach has been closed until further notice. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at the beach.

     â€‹Correctional officers at Pik Uk Prison stopped a male person in custody attacking a staff member today (June 16).

     At 11.39am today, a 51-year-old male person in custody suddenly became emotional and attacked a correctional officer inside a shower room. Officers at the scene immediately stopped the assailant and applied OC foam to subdue him after repeated warnings were ignored.

     During the incident, the officer being attacked sustained an injury to his chest. He did not need to be sent to a public hospital after examination and treatment by the institution Medical Officer. The assailant sustained minor injuries to his eyes. After examination by the Medical Officer at the institution hospital, he was referred to a public hospital for further treatment of unstable emotion.

     The case has been reported to the Police for investigation.

     The assailant was sentenced to imprisonment for the offence of trafficking in a dangerous drug in May 2024.

     The Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Lam Sai-hung, completed his journey on the inaugural sleeper train of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL) from Hong Kong to Beijing today (June 16).
      
     Mr Lam arrived at the Beijingxi Station at some time after 6am this morning and was received by representatives of the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (China Railway) at the station. "I am grateful for the Central Government's care for Hong Kong, and I am very delighted to come to Beijing to thank China Railway and various Mainland authorities in person. I also feel honoured to be a passenger on this inaugural XRL sleeper train from Hong Kong to Beijing. This initial journey, which I shared with hundreds of friends including Legislative Council Members and colleagues from the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL), has been highly memorable," Mr Lam said.

     Mr Lam and MTRCL representatives then attended a meeting with officials of China Railway to discuss how to further enhance the services of the XRL Hong Kong Section. He said that the launch of the XRL sleeper train service will fully capitalise on the advantages of the "co-location arrangement". In addition to a quicker and more convenient clearance experience, the trains will also stop at more intermediate stations, enhancing economic and trade co-operation as well as closer personnel exchanges between Hong Kong and a wider range of provinces and cities on the Mainland.

     The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the MTRCL will continue to maintain close liaison with the National Railway Administration as well as China Railway to enhance XRL services. The collaboration will give full play to the advantages of interconnectivity between the XRL Hong Kong Section and the national high-speed rail network for consolidating Hong Kong's status as a strategic transport hub at the country's southern gateway, and better integrating the city into the national development.

     â€‹The Under Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Liu Chun-san, also took the inaugural XRL sleeper train from Hong Kong to the Shanghai Hongqiao Station yesterday afternoon (June 15) and arrived in Shanghai this morning. Mr Lam and Mr Liu will conclude their trip and return to Hong Kong this afternoon.

          

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, at a media session after welcoming travellers taking the inaugural sleeper train of the XRL (Express Rail Link) from Beijing and Shanghai to Hong Kong today (June 16):

Reporter: Would the Mainland authorities increase the train frequency or adding more destinations to improve the train services further?

Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism: We will look at the supply and demand. We will see the response to this service, and then we will liaise with the MTR and of course with the Mainland authorities. And then we will decide whether to increase the frequency or not. Thank you.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)