Hong Kong Customs seizes smuggled electronic goods worth about $500 million
Hong Kong Customs mounted a special operation codenamed "Sea Guardian" in August and September, with three suspected smuggling cases involving ocean-going vessels detected. A large batch of suspected smuggled electronic goods with a total estimated market value of about $500 million was seized.
Through intelligence analysis and risk assessment, Customs, suspecting that criminals were using ocean-going vessels to smuggle goods, planned an enforcement operation and identified three suspicious containers scheduled to depart from Hong Kong for Malaysia, as well as a container scheduled to be shipped to Tianjin, via ocean-going vessels for inspection.
Customs inspected the four containers that were declared as carrying aluminium materials, aluminium alloys and citric acid respectively on August 20, September 3 and September 9. Upon the examinations, Customs officers found large batches of suspected smuggled electronic goods, including central processing units, display cards, circuit boards and random-access memory in the containers.
An investigation is ongoing. The likelihood of arrests is not ruled out.
Being a government department primarily responsible for tackling smuggling activities, Customs has long been combating various smuggling activities at the forefront. Customs will keep up its enforcement action and continue to strategically combat sea smuggling activities through proactive risk management and intelligence-based enforcement strategies, and carry out targeted anti-smuggling operations at suitable times to disrupt relevant crimes.
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 seizes smuggled electronic goods worth about $500 million Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Hong Kong Customs seizes smuggled electronic goods worth about $500 million Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Hong Kong Customs seizes smuggled electronic goods worth about $500 million Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Buildings Department responds to media enquiries on development project at Anderson Road
In response to media enquiries about the steel reinforcement installation works in the superstructure of a development project at Anderson Road, a spokesman for the Buildings Department (BD) today (October 4) gave the following response:
The BD received a report in late August alleging that the steel reinforcements of some structural elements in the superstructure works being carried out at the Anderson Road site had not been installed in accordance with the requirements of the Buildings Ordinance (Chapter 123) (BO). The BD attaches great importance to the incident and has deployed its staff to the site four times since early September to inspect site operations, quality of work, site safety and the like. During the inspection on September 26, the BD staff found that the number of steel reinforcements installed at six beams on 29/F of Tower 3 of the site was less than that required in the approved plans. Nevertheless, there was no obvious danger to the overall structure.
As neither the representative of the registered structural engineer (RSE) nor the representative of the registered contractor (RC) could provide a reasonable explanation immediately on that day, the BD staff met with the RSE on the following day (September 27) and requested him to submit a detailed investigation and remedial works report, including the need for additional sampling tests to determine whether similar situations existed on other floors of Tower 3 and in other towers.
To facilitate the investigation requested by the BD, works of the Anderson Road development project have been suspended since September 28. In addition to the investigation and remedial works report, the BD also requested for a proposal to strengthen site supervision, and the site works cannot be resumed until the BD is satisfied with the report and proposal.
The BD is continuing its investigation into the incident and will consider appropriate enforcement action upon receipt of the RSE's report on the incident.
The BD is also reviewing the superstructure works in seven other private developments being carried out by the same contractor, and will step up site inspections to check their site safety and quality of works.
Of the eight private development projects mentioned above, four were taken over from Aggressive Construction Engineering Limited (ACEL), which was removed from the register of general building contractors in November last year. The RC involved in the incident was another independent RC. Under the BD's registration system, an RC must have a suitable authorized signatory (AS) to supervise the works. The AS of the RC involved in this incident was not the AS of ACEL, whose name was removed during the processing of its application for registration renewal last year. The delisted AS could not act on behalf of an RC for the purposes of the BO unless he attended the interview again and passed the assessment of the Contractors Registration Committee.
The spokesman reiterated that the BD attaches great importance to the safety and quality of building works. Whichever contractor is involved, the construction works are subject to stringent control under the existing system. The BO stipulates that registered building professionals and RC must properly supervise the works, including ensuring the carrying out of building works in accordance with the approved plans. If registered building professionals, RC and their technically competent persons identify any non-conformities, they must follow the requirements set out in the Code of Practice for Site Supervision 2009 (2024 Edition) and initiate the relevant procedures and rectify. The BD will conduct audit inspections at the critical stages of the building works, witness on-site tests, and review relevant certification documents for quality control.
The Anderson Road development project comprises six multi-storey residential towers, three of which (Towers 1, 2 and 3) are 32 storeys in height, while the remaining three (Towers 5, 6 and 7) are 24 storeys in height. Superstructure works for all six towers were underway, with the concreting works completed at various levels ranging from 22 to 29 storeys. Nine single-storey houses will also be built in the development.
