Author Archives: hksar gov

     Hong Kong Customs on January 19 and yesterday (January 20) detected two drug trafficking cases at Hong Kong International Airport and seized about 20 kilograms of suspected ketamine. The total estimated market value of the drugs was about $9.2 million.
      
     The first case involved a 29-year-old male passenger arriving in Hong Kong from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on January 19. During Customs clearance, Customs officers found a total of about 6kg of suspected ketamine inside his check-in suitcase. The man was subsequently arrested.
      
     The second case involved two male passengers, aged 41 and 31, who arrived in Hong Kong from Zurich, Switzerland, yesterday. During Customs clearance, Customs officers found a total of about 14kg of suspected ketamine inside their check-in suitcases. They were subsequently arrested.
      
     The arrested male in the first case has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug and will appear at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (January 22). An investigation of the second case is ongoing.
      
     Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people.
      
     Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.
      
     Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.
      
     Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002). read more

     The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted an anti-illegal worker operation to combat illegal workers providing cross-boundary services in Hong Kong from January 13 to yesterday (January 20). A total of eight mainland visitors, who were suspected illegal workers, were arrested.
 
     Immigration officers found that social media platforms recently have been utilised by individuals from the Mainland to advertise cross-boundary tour guide services and purchase and delivery services in Hong Kong. After an in-depth investigation and intelligence analysis, ImmD officers identified several suspected illegal workers and initiated an operation. Officers disguised themselves as customers to enquire about and book cross-boundary services from these suspects. The suspects were subsequently arrested while providing cross-boundary services in Hong Kong. The arrested illegal workers comprised four men and four women, aged 19 to 52.

     Seven illegal workers were charged at the Shatin and Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Courts last week with breaching the conditions of their stay. They pleaded guilty to the charges, and were sentenced to terms ranging from 56 days to two months’ imprisonment. The one remaining case of the suspected illegal worker is under investigation.

     “The ImmD will continue to strengthen enforcement actions against illegal employment and seek various means to publicise the serious consequences of employing illegal workers in order to raise public awareness of the issue. The ImmD will conduct target-oriented cyber patrols and take prompt enforcement actions if any person is found organising, arranging or instigating others to commit serious crimes such as employing illegal workers,” an ImmD spokesman said.
 
     The spokesman warned, “Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him/her shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years’ imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties.”
     
     The spokesman reiterated that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years’ imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years’ imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. 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. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law by employing illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.

  

     The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (January 21) welcomed the announcement made by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) on the arrangement to streamline the approval procedures for Hong Kong registered traditional proprietary Chinese medicines (pCms) for oral use to be registered on the Mainland.

     To fully implement the Work Plan for Regulatory Innovation and Development of Pharmaceutical and Medical Device in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Guangdong Provincial Medical Products Administration (GDMPA) promulgated the notice regarding the streamlining of approval procedures for Hong Kong and Macao registered traditional pCms for external use on August 27, 2021. Since then, the Health Bureau and the Department of Health have been maintaining close communication with relevant Mainland authorities to explore the feasibility of extending the scope of the aforementioned measure to pCms for oral use. The NMPA promulgated today the notice regarding the streamlining of approval procedures for Hong Kong and Macao registered traditional pCms for oral use. The streamlined approval measure will apply to traditional pCms for oral use held by manufacturing companies in Hong Kong, which have been registered with the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong and in use in Hong Kong for more than 15 years. The manufacturing processes of these pCms must comply with the requirements of Good Manufacturing Practice for medicines.
 
     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, said, “The HKSAR Government warmly welcomes the official implementation of the streamlined approval measure, and expresses gratitude to the Central Government and the NMPA for their staunch support for the development of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong all along. Since the implementation of the streamlined approval procedures for traditional pCms for external use registered in Hong Kong and Macao in 2021, 13 Hong Kong registered pCms have been approved for sale on the Mainland through streamlined procedures. The relevant measure has greatly streamlined the requirements and shortened the time for approval, thereby opening up a more convenient channel for the Hong Kong Chinese medicines industry to tap into the vast market on the Mainland. The new arrangement of extending the measure to pCms for oral use announced today symbolises the acceleration of the implementation of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Chinese medicine policies, which are favourable to Hong Kong, further facilitating Hong Kong pCm manufacturers’ market expansion on the Mainland and promoting the development of the Chinese medicine industry. The HKSAR Government will actively promote the relevant measure to the Hong Kong pCm sector.”

     To assist Hong Kong Chinese medicine traders to make good use of the opportunities brought about by the relevant policy, the Chinese Medicine Development Fund of the Health Bureau launched the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Proprietary Chinese Medicine Industry Development Support Scheme in February 2024 to provide financial support to Hong Kong pCm manufacturers or wholesalers in respect of the registration application, supporting them to make applications for registration on the Mainland with the GDMPA for eligible pCms through the streamlined approval procedures. The Health Bureau will further expand the scope of the Support Scheme in light of the latest policy in a timely manner. read more

　　In light of the recent serious accidents at construction sites for new works, the Labour Department (LD) launched a territory-wide Special Enforcement Operation (SEO) yesterday (January 20), focusing on construction sites with large-scale scaffol… read more

     The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, chaired the fourth meeting of the Steering Committee on District Governance today (January 21) to steer and direct various bureaux and departments in formulating strategies on issues of district concern and to follow up on the implementation progress of the eight key district initiatives identified at the first three meetings.

     Mr Chan said, “With the full implementation of the improved district governance system, the work on district governance has accelerated and become more effective over the past year. Strengthening measures have been introduced across various key areas, covering the elderly and children, environmental hygiene, public security, housing estate environment, road facilities and safety, as well as digital inclusion, achieving substantial results. The Steering Committee will continue to steer bureaux and departments to focus on resolving livelihood issues for the well-being of the people.”

     At the meeting, the Steering Committee discussed a number of district issues of public concern and directed the relevant bureaux and departments to strive to further enhance the community environment and facilities, including (i) improving lighting and ventilation, among others, at public transport interchanges to provide a more comfortable waiting environment for citizens; (ii) stepping up the cleaning of stains and moss on pedestrian walkways to continuously improve the city environment; (iii) strengthening patrols, law enforcement, publicity and education targeted at blackspots of air-conditioners dripping water from buildings this summer to ensure environmental hygiene; and (iv) strengthening thematic plantings to enhance urban landscape aesthetics and attractiveness.

     The Steering Committee also followed up at the meeting on the progress of the eight district initiatives previously identified, namely (1) expanding after-school care services and enhancing support for parents; (2) caring for the elderly and enhancing community support; (3) fostering clean markets and mobilising the community to participate in anti-rodent work; (4) enhancing public order and combating crimes on all fronts; (5) improving pedestrian facilities and ensuring road safety; (6) enhancing the community environment and strengthening local characteristics; (7) improving the environment of public housing estates and creating comfortable homes; and (8) caring for the elderly and promoting digital inclusion.

     In accordance with the overall strategies set by the Steering Committee on District Governance, the Task Force on District Governance, chaired by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, will continue to co-ordinate bureaux and departments in taking forward the various district initiatives to raise people’s standard of living with concrete results and enhance their sense of achievement, satisfaction and security.