Tag Archives: China

     Hong Kong Customs yesterday (December 20) detected a cross-boundary drug trafficking case through the cargo channel and seized about 4.4 kilograms of suspected heroin with an estimated market value of about $6.6 million at Hong Kong International Airport.

     Customs officers yesterday inspected an air transshipment cargo arriving from Laos en route to Taiwan via Hong Kong. After an initial check with advanced examination equipment, the batch of suspected heroin was found packed in 36 bags and concealed in 12 bottles of hair care products.

     An investigation is ongoing.

     Customs will continue to combat cross-boundary drug trafficking activities through cargo channels at the airport through strategies of risk-profiling and intelligence analysis.

     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 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

    

     The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) announced today (December 21) that to achieve the target of making testing services available as far as possible for those who should be tested, it will continue to arrange voluntary free COVID-19 testing services for targeted groups, including high-exposure groups such as front-line staff of catering businesses, staff of market stalls, licensed hawkers and staff of cold stores, to safeguard public health. The deadline for online registration for the scheme has been extended to January 21 next year. People in high-exposure groups who had already registered and undergone voluntary testing may register again.

     A spokesman for the FEHD said, “To broaden surveillance at the community level, and incorporate disease prevention and infection control into the new normal of the daily operation of society, the Government will integrate and regularise the Targeted Group Testing Scheme (TGTS) as part of its sentinel surveillance. The TGTS will become part of the surveillance and early warning system. By facilitating contact tracing and epidemiological investigation, it will be conducive to early identification, early isolation and early treatment, and can provide reference data for the overall assessment of the epidemic situation.”

     The FEHD strongly appeals to the groups concerned to actively participate in the testing scheme, and continue to comply with the directions made under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F), and to maintain personal and environmental hygiene continuously with a view to ensuring cleanliness of the premises and food safety. Details of the scheme are available at the FEHD’s website (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/events/covid19_test/info_20200926.html).

     “To safeguard the health and safety of staff of catering premises, as well as market tenants and the public, the FEHD reminds catering business and scheduled premises operators to comply strictly with the regulations and directions under Cap. 599F, while market tenants and members of the public should also comply with the restrictions in relation to group gatherings and mask wearing to reduce the risk of virus transmission. The fixed penalty for violating regulations on group gatherings and mask wearing has been increased from $2,000 to $5,000 from December 11,” the spokesman added.

     The FEHD is continuing to enhance the inspections at catering premises and its markets and hawker stalls. From December 11 to yesterday (December 20), a total of 321 verbal warnings related to the regulation on mask wearing were given. The department initiated procedures on prosecution against 48 catering business operators (including three for providing dine-in services after 6pm) for breaching the requirements and directions stipulated in Cap. 599F. Enforcement actions were also taken by the FEHD against 15 persons for violating the requirements on mask wearing, including issuing 11 fixed penalty notices and initiating four summonses.

     The spokesman particularly reminded catering business operators that they must display the poster containing the “LeaveHomeSafe” venue QR code at the entrance of the premises or at a conspicuous location.

     “According to the regulation, catering premises must display the poster containing the ‘LeaveHomeSafe’ venue QR code at the entrance of the premises or at a conspicuous location which must be unobstructed at any one time so that it is readily accessible for scanning with a mobile phone by a person entering the catering premises and the size of the image of the poster displayed must not be less than 210 millimetres by 297mm (A4 size),” the spokesman said.

     From December 2 to yesterday, the FEHD gave 33 verbal warnings and initiated prosecution procedures against nine catering business operators for not displaying a poster containing the “LeaveHomeSafe” venue QR code properly at the premises.

     With Christmas and New Year approaching, the spokesman reminded catering business operators and the public to exercise self-discipline and co-operate to fight the virus together. He also appealed to catering business operators to comply with relevant regulations on prevention and control of disease in a concerted and persistent manner, with a view to keeping their staff, customers and the public safe. Members of the public also have to comply with the related regulations and directions on group gatherings and mask wearing at catering premises. read more

     Geotech Engineering Limited and Sam’s Engineering Limited were fined $42,000 and $132,000 respectively at Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts today (December 21) for violation of the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance and the Construction Sites (Safety) Regulations. The prosecutions were launched by the Labour Department.
 
     The case involved a fatal accident that occurred on March 23, 2020, at a slope maintenance site in Yau Yat Chuen. A worker, while carrying out slope maintenance work, fell from a height of about 3 metres from the top of a retaining wall of the slope to the ground. He sustained serious head injury and passed away on the same day. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority.      Regarding an earlier announcement on a cluster of patients confirmed to have Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) in a male medical ward, the spokesperson f… read more

     A Chinese illegal worker was jailed by Shatin Magistrates’ Courts on December 18.

     During operation “Twilight” conducted on November 11, Immigration Department (ImmD) investigators raided a Chinese restaurant in Sham Shui Po. A male Chinese illegal worker, aged 28, was arrested while working as a waiter. An employer suspected of employing the illegal worker was also arrested and investigation is ongoing.

     The illegal worker was charged at Shatin Magistrates’ Courts on December 18 with taking employment after landing in Hong Kong unlawfully and remaining in Hong Kong without the authority of the Director of Immigration or while being a person in respect of whom a removal order or deportation order was in force. He pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment. Meanwhile, he was also charged with two counts of using a forged Hong Kong identity card and one count of breaching his condition of stay and was sentenced to 15 months’ and four weeks’ imprisonment respectively. All sentences are to run concurrently. Moreover, he was charged with one count of breaching his condition of stay in May and was sentenced to two weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for two years. As he had committed a related offence during his suspended sentence, the court sentenced him to the above imprisonment, running consecutively, making a total imprisonment term of 15 months and two weeks.
 
     The ImmD spokesman warned that, as stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, illegal immigrants or people who are the subject of a removal order or a deportation order are prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining in any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years’ imprisonment. The Court of Appeal has issued a guideline ruling that a sentence of 15 months’ imprisonment should be applied in such cases. Under the prevailing laws, it is an offence to use or possess a forged Hong Kong identity card or a Hong Kong identity card related to another person. Offenders are liable to prosecution and a maximum penalty of a $100,000 fine and up to 10 years’ imprisonment.

     “Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him 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,” an ImmD spokesman said.

     The spokesman reiterated that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. The maximum penalty is imprisonment for three years and a fine of $350,000. 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. The maximum penalty for failing to inspect such a document is imprisonment for one year and a fine of $150,000.

     Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers who are arrested during any operation, with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) victims. When any TIP indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP elements, such as threats and coercion in the recruitment phase and the nature of exploitation. Identified TIP victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter, temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP victims to report crimes to the relevant departments. read more