Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for dealing with duty-not-paid cigarettes and importing prohibited articles not under and in accordance with import licence
An incoming male passenger was sentenced to two months' imprisonment and fined $2,000 by the Tuen Mun Magistrates' Courts today (February 6) for possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs officers, as well as for importing prohibited articles not under and in accordance with the import licence, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO) and the Import and Export Ordinance (IEO).
Customs officers intercepted an incoming male passenger, aged 42, at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point on February 5. About 2 174 duty-not-paid cigarettes and five tablets of pharmaceutical products labelled as containing Part I Poisons, with a total estimated market value of about $11,000 and a duty potential of about $7,100, were seized from his personal baggage. The passenger was subsequently arrested.
Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences.
Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, tobacco products are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
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 dealing with duty-not-paid cigarettes and importing prohibited articles not under and in accordance with import licence Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
CS chairs interdepartmental working group meeting on festival arrangements
The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (February 6) chaired a meeting of the interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements to holistically co-ordinate and steer the preparatory work of various government departments for welcoming visitors to Hong Kong during the Chinese New Year Golden Week of the Mainland (i.e. from February 15 to 23). The Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung; the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law; the Under Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Liu Chun-sun; the Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong, and representatives from other relevant government departments also attended.
Mr Chan said, "We are approaching the nine-day Chinese New Year Golden Week of the Mainland. Various celebration activities will take place to create a rich New Year ambience for residents and visitors. We estimate a notable increase in visitor arrivals during the Chinese New Year Golden Week of the Mainland. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government will make good preparations for receiving visitors, including diligently co-ordinating the ancillary arrangements of boundary control points (BCPs) and transportation, as well as maintaining close liaison with relevant organisations and the travel trade to prepare well for crowd management, information dissemination and arrangements of public transportation and BCPs, with a view to ensuring the smooth operation of various aspects in receiving visitors and offering a high-quality experience to them."
Estimated visitor flow and preparatory work
According to the Immigration Department (ImmD)'s estimate, around 1.43 million Mainland visitors will visit Hong Kong via various sea, land and air control points during the nine-day Chinese New Year Golden Week of the Mainland. Compared with last year's Chinese New Year Golden Week of the Mainland, the daily average visitor arrivals will increase by about 6 per cent.
According to the estimate of the Travel Industry Authority (TIA) and the trade, it is anticipated that 2 200 inbound tour groups will visit Hong Kong during the Chinese New Year Golden Week of the Mainland, with the average daily number of inbound tour groups notably higher than that of last year’s Labour Day and National Day Golden Week of the Mainland. Major tourist spots have formulated special arrangements to handle the estimated increase in people flow. The Hong Kong community is expected to become more vibrant and highly patronised during the Chinese New Year Golden Week of the Mainland, bringing opportunities to various sectors.
There will be a rich array of activities across the territory during the Chinese New Year Golden Week of the Mainland. Major events include the Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade on February 17 (Lunar New Year's Day) and the Lunar New Year Fireworks Display on February 18 (the second day of Lunar New Year). The Hong Kong Police Force will ensure sufficient police manpower to implement corresponding crowd management measures and special traffic arrangements as necessary for the events to be conducted in a safe and orderly manner. District offices will also closely monitor the flow of visitors within their respective districts and notify relevant departments having regard to the actual circumstances with a view to strengthening management of the relevant spots.
Co-ordinate control points, traffic and public transport facilities
The HKSAR Government has given due consideration to the relevant circumstances, including the schedules and arrangements of mega events in Hong Kong during the Chinese New Year holiday this year, as well as the experience of extending the operating hours of individual BCPs during the 2024 Chinese New Year, and decided, in discussion with relevant Mainland authorities, to maintain the existing operating hours of the BCPs during this year's Chinese New Year holiday. The Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang Port and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) Port will maintain a 24-hour operation as usual. The HKSAR Government appeals to visitors to plan ahead for their itineraries and stay overnight after participating in various local celebratory activities for the Chinese New Year to fully enjoy the rich and diverse celebratory activities to be held across various districts in the city and experience Hong Kong's unique city charm.
Relevant departments have minimised leave for frontline officers to enable flexible deployment of manpower and operation of additional counters, temporary counters and channels, with a view to diverting passenger and vehicular flow. The Inter-departmental Joint Command Centre set up by the Police, the ImmD, the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED), and other relevant departments will be activated from February 14 (Saturday) to February 23 (Monday) to monitor the real-time situation at various control points. The Joint Command Centre will maintain close liaison with the Mainland port authorities through the established port hotlines and real-time notification mechanism and take timely contingency actions as necessary to flexibly deploy manpower at BCPs to ensure smooth operation of the land control points. The Security Bureau will activate the Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre during the Chinese New Year Golden Week of the Mainland to closely monitor and co-ordinate the public order situation at various BCPs and facilitate interdepartmental follow-up actions where necessary to respond promptly to various kinds of emergencies.
For public transport arrangements, the Transport Department (TD) has proactively approached various public transport operators to enhance their capacity and reserve sufficient vehicles and manpower to meet the travel needs of visitors during peak periods. Among them, the MTR Corporation Limited will significantly enhance the service of the East Rail Line at different periods during the period between February 13 (Friday) and February 23 (Monday). Most local railway lines will operate overnight on February 16 (Monday, Lunar New Year’s Eve). Services on the relevant railway lines will be strengthened after the Night Parade on February 17 (Lunar New Year’s Day) and the Fireworks Display on February 18 (the second day of Lunar New Year) for the convenience of residents and visitors. The TD will also cater for the arrangements of BCPs and has co-ordinated with relevant operators to enhance transportation services connecting various BCPs, including increasing the frequency of HZMB shuttle bus (Gold Bus) to about one minute during peak hours, and Lok Ma Chau-Huanggang cross-boundary shuttle bus (Yellow Bus) to about two minutes at its highest frequency, as well as increasing the quota of cross-boundary coaches to strengthen services, and formulating a contingency plan by implementing special traffic control measures as necessary, including providing a dedicated passage for public transport vehicles at the HZMB Port, the Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang Port and the Shenzhen Bay Port to ensure smooth public transport services. Furthermore, in the early hours from February 17 (Tuesday, Lunar New Year's Day) to February 19 (Thursday, the third day of Lunar New Year), after the service hours of the East Rail Line trains to Lo Wu Station, special bus service of KMB Route No. N73 (MTR Sheung Shui Station to San Tin) will be provided to carry passengers to interchange to the Yellow Bus for their journey to the Mainland via the Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang Port, which operates round-the-clock.
The Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre of the TD will operate 24 hours a day during the Chinese New Year Golden Week of the Mainland to closely monitor the traffic conditions and public transport services in all districts (including tourist hotspots), BCPs, and major stations across Hong Kong and take prompt measures to address service demands and disseminate the latest traffic updates through various channels.
In view of the anticipated large number of tourists visiting Sai Kung High Island Reservoir East Dam and campsites including Ham Tin Wan Campsite during the Chinese New Year Golden Week of the Mainland, the Police have taken targeted measures, including deploying uniformed officers at strategic locations at Pak Tam Chung, Sai Kung Man Yee Road and East Dam, for traffic and crowd management during peak visitor arrival and departure periods. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), in addition to safety measures implemented earlier such as adding barriers and putting up warning signs, will implement temporary crowd control measures at the entrance of the High Island Geo Trail - Po Pin Chau Section when necessary to prevent overcrowding at the site. The TD has co-ordinated with the operator to enhance the service of GMB Route No. 9A (Pak Tam Chung - High Island Reservoir East Dam) subject to passenger demand. Furthermore, the Government has strengthened management efforts at Ham Tin Wan, Sai Wan, and Long Ke Wan. For instance, at the campsite and public toilets in Ham Tin Wan, the AFCD and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will jointly implement special management arrangements this weekend (February 7 and 8) and from February 14 to 23. These measures include deploying staff daily to clean the campsite and empty trash bins, assigning toilet attendants on duty, enhancing campsite patrols and public education, and installing network cameras to monitor the cleanliness of the areas around the public toilets.
Management of tour groups and protection of visitors
The TIA has reminded travel agents receiving Mainland inbound tour groups to stagger arrival times as far as possible, and co-ordinate with relevant parties including attractions to adopt appropriate diversion measures to enable proper management of visitor flows and tour buses, with a view to offering a pleasant travel experience to visitors. The TIA will also conduct inspections in districts where relatively more registered shops for inbound tour groups are located, and offer assistance to visitors and tourist guides to protect inbound tour group visitors' rights. Additionally, the Police will continue to step up enforcement actions against the illegal acts of taxi drivers including overcharging and refusing hire. The C&ED will also step up inspection of shops serving visitors to combat unfair trade practices.
To ensure smooth traffic flow in tourist areas such as the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront and the Peak, the Police will step up enforcement actions against offenses causing traffic congestion. Illegally parked vehicles that cause serious obstruction or pose an immediate danger will be ticketed and towed away immediately without prior warning.
Weather forecast
As Hong Kong will still be in winter during the Chinese New Year Golden Week of the Mainland, it is expected that the city may occasionally experience temperature drops due to the monsoon. The chances of being affected by severe weather such as heavy rain or tropical cyclones are relatively low. The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) will release relevant weather information as early as possible. Travellers are advised to check the HKO’s nine-day weather forecast and the latest weather warnings before travelling.
Information dissemination
To assist visitors in planning their itineraries, the interdepartmental working group and relevant departments will strengthen information dissemination, including the latest inbound visitor arrivals, the situation at various BCPs, information on events, transport arrangements, and latest weather forecast, to enable residents and visitors to plan their itineraries according to the latest situation.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has launched a one-stop Chinese New Year festive webpage (www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/what-s-new/events/chinese-new-year.html), which consolidates major Chinese New Year events in Hong Kong and practical information for the Chinese New Year Golden Week of the Mainland. The webpage includes information about the opening hours and waiting times of major tourist attractions, information on unique celebratory activities, and updates on public transport and cross-border service arrangements, enabling visitors to plan their trips in advance and experience Hong Kong’s festive culture in depth. The HKTB has also stepped up promotions on the Mainland by partnering with popular platforms and influencers to showcase authentic local delicacies and unique Chinese New Year experiences to attract more Mainland visitors to visit and spend in Hong Kong and enhance their overall travel experiences.
Residents and visitors may visit "Easy Boundary" (www.sb.gov.hk/eng/bwt/status.html?type=outbound), a one-stop information platform on immigration clearance launched by the Security Bureau, to obtain useful information on "Easy Boundary" in one go, including the respective average waiting times for passengers and private cars at land BCPs, as well as for the HZMB cross-boundary shuttle bus and the Lok Ma Chau-Huanggang cross-boundary shuttle bus, to plan their trips and save waiting times.
CS chairs interdepartmental working group meeting on festival arrangements Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
CS chairs interdepartmental working group meeting on festival arrangements Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
