The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (March 28) reported the latest number of dengue fever (DF) cases, and urged the public to maintain strict environmental hygiene, mosquito control and… read more
Hong Kong Customs on March 25 detected a suspected air freight gold bullion smuggling case, and seized about 145 kilograms of suspected gold bullion with an estimated market value of about $110 million, at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). This is the largest gold bullion smuggling case detected by Customs on record in terms of the seizure volume and market value.
Based on risk assessment, Customs on that day examined an outbound air cargo consignment, declared as carrying plastic luggage departing for Japan, at the Customs Cargo Examination Compound at HKIA. Upon inspection, Customs officers found a batch of luggage in 14 carton boxes, and a total of about 145kg of suspected smuggled gold bullion concealed therein.
An investigation is ongoing. The likelihood of arrests is not ruled out.
Customs will continue to take stringent enforcement actions against all kinds of 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 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).
The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Friday, March 28, 2025 is 106.7 (same as yesterday’s index). read more
The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Friday, March 28, 2025 is 106.7 (same as yesterday’s index). read more
The Town Planning Board today (March 28) announced amendments to the approved Tai Po Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).
The amendments mainly involve (i) rezoning a site at the junction of Lo Fai Road and Ting Kok Road from “Green Belt” (“GB”) and an area shown as ‘Road’ to “Residential (Group A)11” to facilitate a public housing development under a Land Sharing Pilot Scheme (LSPS) application (LSPS Site A); (ii) rezoning a site at Ting Kok Road to the north of Fortune Garden from “GB” and an area shown as ‘Road’ to “Residential (Group A)12” to facilitate a private housing development under a LSPS application (LSPS Site B); (iii) rezoning a site to the north of Shek Kwu Lung from “Open Space” to “Government, Institution or Community (3)”; (iv) rezoning two parcels of land adjoining the LSPS Site A and Site B along Ting Kok Road from areas shown as ‘Road’ to “GB”; (v) rezoning a strip of land to the east of the LSPS Site B along Ting Kok Road from “GB” to an area shown as ‘Road’; (vi) rezoning two parcels of land to the north of Fortune Garden along Ting Kok Road from “Residential (Group C)1” (“R(C)1”) to areas shown as ‘Road’; and (vii) rezoning a parcel of land to the north of Fortune Garden along Ting Kok Road from an area shown as ‘Road’ to “R(C)1”.
The Notes and Explanatory Statement of the OZP are amended to take into account the above amendments. Opportunity is also taken to update the general information of various land use zones and the planning scheme area, where appropriate.
The draft Tai Po OZP No. S/TP/31, incorporating the amendments, is available for public inspection during office hours at (i) the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, (ii) the Planning Enquiry Counters, (iii) the Sha Tin, Tai Po and North District Planning Office, (iv) the Tai Po District Office, and (v) the Tai Po Rural Committee.
Any person may make written representations in respect of the amendments to the Secretary of the Town Planning Board on or before May 28. Any person who intends to make a representation is advised to read the Town Planning Board Guidelines No. 29C on “Submission and Processing of Representations and Further Representations” (TPB PG-No. 29C).
Submission of a representation should comply with the requirements set out in TPB PG-No. 29C. In particular, the representer should take note of the following:
* If the representer fails to provide his or her full name and the first four alphanumeric characters of his or her Hong Kong identity card or passport number as required under TPB PG-No. 29C, the representation submitted shall be treated as not having been made; and
* The Secretariat of the Town Planning Board reserves the right to require the representer to provide identity proof for verification.
The Guidelines and the submission form are available at the above locations (i) and (ii) as well as the Town Planning Board’s website (www.tpb.gov.hk).
Copies of the draft Tai Po OZP are available for sale at the Map Publications Centre in North Point. The electronic version of the OZP can be viewed on the Town Planning Board’s website (www.tpb.gov.hk). read more