Hong Kong Customs detects suspected gold-smuggling case by air worth about $7.5 million
Hong Kong Customs on August 1 detected an air freight suspected gold-smuggling case, and seized about 12 kilograms of suspected gold with an estimated market value of about $7.5 million, at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA).
Based on risk assessment, Customs on that day examined an air cargo consignment, declared as carrying bags, sweaters, garments and documents, and departing for Japan, at the Customs Cargo Examination Compound at HKIA. Upon inspection, Customs officers found a batch of undeclared ozone generators and seized the batch of suspected smuggled gold, which wasmoulded and camouflaged as transformer parts, inside the transformers of the ozone generators.
The investigation is still ongoing.
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 upon conviction.
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/).
Hong Kong Customs detects suspected gold-smuggling case by air worth about $7.5 million Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Hong Kong Customs detects suspected gold-smuggling case by air worth about $7.5 million Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
C&WDO receives report of loss of hirer data by facility management services contractor of Sai Ying Pun Community Complex
The Central and Western District Office (C&WDO) received a report of the loss of hirer data by a facility management services contractor today (September 16).
The C&WDO has engaged a facility management services contractor, Synergis Facility Management Limited (the Contractor), to assist in managing the Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall (the Community Hall) and handling the booking applications for use of the Community Hall and its facility from September 2022 to August 2025.
The Contractor reported to the C&WDO this morning that a staff member of the Contractor, who is responsible for handling the booking applications for use of the Community Hall and its facility, had lost a portable device (USB) during work on September 14. The device contains the name of organisation, date and time of the event, name and contact number of the contact person for 306 applicants. The data involved does not include any identity card number or other personal identifiers.
Upon receiving the report, the C&WDO promptly requested and accompanied the Contractor to report the incident to the Police and reported the matter to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data this afternoon. The C&WDO is contacting all the affected applicants to offer apologies and explain the incident. Meanwhile, a hotline (2852 3735) has been set up for persons affected to make enquiries. The C&WDO has also immediately suspended the Contractor from handling the booking applications for use of the Community Hall and its facility. The Home Affairs Department (HAD) has also informed the Property Management Services Authority to take appropriate follow-up action as the Contractor has failed to handle personal data properly as a licensed property management company.
The C&WDO sincerely apologises to the persons affected for any inconvenience caused and will follow up seriously to prevent reoccurrence of similar incidents . The C&WDO strongly condemns the Contractor concerned for the incident and has required the Contractor to submit a detailed report and take all necessary measures to prevent further leakage of the data involved. The HAD will not allow the Contractor to bid any other projects of the HAD until it has taken satisfactory measures.
Source: AI-generated images
