Hong Kong Customs detects drug trafficking case involving incoming passenger at airport
Hong Kong Customs detected a drug trafficking case involving an incoming air passenger at Hong Kong International Airport today (January 23) and seized about five kilograms of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about $3.7 million.
The case involved a 21-year-old male passenger arriving in Hong Kong from Penang, Malaysia, today. During customs clearance, Customs officers found the batch of suspected cocaine in his carry-on baggage. The man was subsequently arrested.
After an investigation, the arrested man has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug, and the case will be brought up at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (January 24).
Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not to participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people.
Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.
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 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
Hong Kong Customs detects drug trafficking case involving incoming passenger at airport Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
CFS inspects fast food stalls at Lunar New Year fairs
The 2026 Lunar New Year (LNY) fairs are being held at 14 locations across the territory. The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has arranged for staff to inspect the fast food stalls at LNY fairs and distribute booklets to remind stall operators of food safety.
A spokesman for the CFS said today (February 14) that, to safeguard food safety and public health, CFS officers have provided health education on food safety and hygiene and distributed booklets to person-in-charge of fast food stalls at various LNY fairs, reminding them to pay more attention to food safety and environmental hygiene and take food safety measures in their operations for producing and supplying wholesome and safe food.
Moreover, the CFS has collected food samples, including mock sharks-fin soup, stinky tofu, curry fish ball and Shanghai style steamed pork dumpling, from the fast food stalls at LNY fairs for microbiological tests.
The CFS urges food business operators and food handlers to adopt the following measures to ensure food safety:
order food ingredients from reliable suppliers;
keep hands and utensils clean, and food handlers should wash or sanitise their hands thoroughly before preparing food;
separate raw and cooked food, such as using separate knives and chopping boards to handle raw and cooked food;
cook food thoroughly with the core temperature of all ingredients reaching 75 degrees Celsius or above for at least 30 seconds;
keep food at safe temperatures that hot food should be kept at above 60 degrees C while cold food should be properly covered and neatly stored at 4 degrees C or below in the refrigerator; and
avoid keeping food under room temperature for prolonged period, and follow the "two-hour/four-hour rule" in cases without temperature control, i.e. if cooked food is kept at room temperature for less than two hours, it can be refrigerated for later use or consumed within four-hour time limit; if cooked food has been kept at room temperature for more than two hours and less than four hours, it should be consumed within the four-hour time limit but cannot be refrigerated again. Cooked food that has been held at room temperature for more than four hours should be discarded.
CFS inspects fast food stalls at Lunar New Year fairs Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
CFS inspects fast food stalls at Lunar New Year fairs Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
CFS inspects fast food stalls at Lunar New Year fairs Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
