Police Announce Traffic and Crowd Control Measures for Mong Kok Flower Market Ahead of Lunar New Year

Crowd management measures and special traffic arrangements for Mong Kok Flower Market Road area

The Police will implement crowd management measures and special traffic arrangements in the Mong Kok Flower Market Road area from February 7 to 17 to maintain smooth traffic flow and public safety.

A. Crowd management measures

With large crowds expected at the Flower Market before the Lunar New Year, the Police will implement crowd management measures depending on the crowd condition. These measures will apply to Flower Market Road, Yuen Ngai Street, Yuen Po Street and the adjacent service road of Prince Edward Road West, Sai Yee Street, Fa Yuen Street and Playing Field Road. Members of the public are urged to remain patient, follow instructions given by police officers on site, and enter these areas in an orderly manner.

B. Special traffic arrangements

The following traffic arrangements will be implemented from 8am on February 7 to 8am on February 17:

(1) Road closure and traffic diversions

The following roads will be closed, except for vehicles with a permit:

- Flower Market Road;

- Yuen Ngai Street;

- Yuen Po Street; and

- The service road of Prince Edward Road West between Sai Yee Street and Yuen Po Street.

Depending on the traffic and crowd conditions, the following roads may be closed:

- Sai Yee Street between the service road of Prince Edward Road West and Boundary Street;

- Fa Yuen Street between the service road of Prince Edward Road West and Boundary Street;

- Playing Field Road between Tung Choi Street and Sai Yee Street; and

- The service road of Prince Edward Road West between Nathan Road and Sai Yee Street.

During the above road closure period, traffic along westbound Prince Edward Road West near Nathan Road cannot make a U-turn to the service road of Prince Edward Road West.

(2) Suspension of parking spaces

The parking spaces on the following roads will be suspended:

- The metered parking spaces on Fa Yuen Street between the service road of Prince Edward Road West and Boundary Street;

- The metered parking spaces on Tung Choi Street between the service road of Prince Edward Road West and Boundary Street;

- The metered parking spaces on Playing Field Road between Tung Choi Street and Sai Yee Street;

- The motorcycle parking spaces on Tung Choi Street near Playing Field Road;

- The motorcycle parking spaces on Playing Field Road between Fa Yuen Street and Tung Choi Street;

- The motorcycle parking spaces under the Prince Edward Road West flyover between Tung Choi Street and Sai Yee Street;

- The disabled parking spaces on Fa Yuen Street near Boundary Street; and

- The disabled parking spaces on Playing Field Road near Tung Choi Street.

All vehicles parked illegally during the implementation of the above special traffic arrangements will be towed away without prior warning, and may be subject to multiple ticketing.

Depending on the actual traffic and crowd conditions, other traffic control and crowd management measures will be implemented. Members of the public are urged to use public transport services as far as possible. Motorists are advised to exercise tolerance and patience, and to take heed of instructions of the Police on site.

Source: AI-created image

Hong Kong Customs detects two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $3.4 million

Hong Kong Customs detected two dangerous drugs cases in Hong Kong International Airport and Yau Ma Tei respectively on April 1 and yesterday (April 2), and seized a total of about 3.1 kilograms of suspected ketamine, about 1.7 kilograms of suspected cocaine and about 1.7 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine with a total estimated market value of about $3.4 million. Two persons suspected to be connected with the cases were arrested.

In the first case, a 43-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Bangkok, Thailand on April 1. During customs clearance, Customs officers found about 3.1 kilograms of suspected ketamine concealed inside food packaging in his baggage. The man was subsequently arrested.

In the second case, during an anti-narcotics operation conducted in Yau Ma Tei on April 2, Customs officers intercepted a 41-year-old man and later escorted him to a hotel room nearby for a search and seized about 1.7 kilograms of suspected cocaine, about 1.7 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine, a drug inhaling apparatus and a batch of drug packaging paraphernalia. The man was subsequently arrested.

The arrested persons have been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug respectively and will appear at the Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (April 4).

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, nor to release their personal data or home address to others for receiving parcels or goods.

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 two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $3.4 million Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs detects two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $3.4 million Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs detects two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $3.4 million Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases