Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for importing prohibited articles not under and in accordance with import licence
Hong Kong Customs on September 10 detected a smuggling case involving a passenger at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) and seized 1 746 pieces of pharmaceutical injections containing Part I Poisons, 8 080 tablets of pharmaceutical products containing Part I Poisons and 74 tubes of pharmaceutical ointment containing Part I Poisons. The total estimated market value was about $1.3 million. The passenger concerned was convicted and sentenced to six months' imprisonment by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (October 10) for contravening the Import and Export Ordinance (IEO) (Cap. 60).
Customs officers intercepted a male passenger, aged 54, on September 10 at the Arrival Hall at HKIA for Customs clearance. Upon examination, the batch of pharmaceutical injections and pharmaceutical products was found inside his check-in suitcases and personal baggage.
Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences.
Customs reminds the public not to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong.
Under the IEO, any person who imports pharmaceutical products and medicines without a valid import licence commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
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).
Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for importing prohibited articles not under and in accordance with import licence Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
CFS finds Salmonella in cut fruits sample
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (November 17) that a sample of cut fruits was found to contain Salmonella, a pathogen. The CFS is following up on the incident.
"The CFS collected the above-mentioned sample from a retail outlet in Mong Kok for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed the presence of Salmonella in 25 grams of the sample, exceeding the criterion of the Microbiological Guidelines for Food, which states that Salmonella should not be detected in 25g of a ready-to-eat food sample," a spokesman for the CFS said.
The CFS has instantly sent staff to the food premises concerned for investigation. The food premises concerned have been informed of the irregularity. The CFS has provided health education on food safety and hygiene to the person-in-charge and staff of the food premises. The food premises have also stopped selling the affected product and have been requested to carry out thorough cleaning and disinfection according to the CFS's advice.
According to section 54 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132), all food available for sale in Hong Kong, locally produced or imported, should be fit for human consumption. An offender is subject to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months upon conviction.
"Salmonella infection may cause fever and gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. The effects on infants, young children, the elderly and people with a weak immune system could be more severe and may even lead to death," the spokesman said.
The CFS will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action to safeguard food safety and public health. An investigation is ongoing.
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