Hong Kong Police Honors 80 Citizens for Crime Prevention and Life-Saving Acts at 2025 Good Citizen Award Ceremony.

2026-03-14 19:03 Last Updated At：19:33

Eighty citizens and six organisations commended for supporting Police in crime prevention

The Hong Kong Police Force held the “Good Citizen Award (GCA) Presentation Ceremony 2025” at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre today (March 14) to commend 80 members of the public for their assistance in combating crime and saving lives, and to present the “Good Organisation Award” to six organisations in recognition of their active support for the Police in promoting anti-deception initiatives, fighting crime, safeguarding national security and fostering youth development.

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Eighty citizens and six organisations commended for supporting Police in crime prevention Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Source: AI-found images

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Source: AI-found images

Eighty citizens and six organisations commended for supporting Police in crime prevention Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Source: AI-found images

Addressing the ceremony, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Chow Yat-ming, highlighted that the GCA Scheme, launched in 1973, has honoured nearly 4 800 good citizens to date, fully demonstrating Hong Kong citizens’ spirit of mutual help and courage in doing what is right. He expressed appreciation for the awardees for offering assistance and making the right choice at critical moments, which echoed this year’s theme, “Good Citizen–A Flash Moment–Be United”. He added that calm judgment in a flash moment helps members of the public avoid scammers’ traps. He urged the public to make good use of “Scameter+”, a mobile app launched by the Police, to identify suspicious calls and websites, and to think twice before disclosing personal or account data, or engaging in money transactions.

He added that this year’s six “Good Organisation Award” recipients have actively fulfilled their corporate social responsibilities by bringing anti-scam and anti-drug messages into the community, thereby supporting police efforts. He said that the Police would continue working hand in hand with the public, organisations and stakeholders from all sectors of the community to transform every “flash moment” of kindness into a strong, lasting force safeguarding our home.

Another officiating guest, the Chairman of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (CGCC), Hong Kong, Dr Jonathan Choi, noted that the recipients of the GCA came from different sectors and backgrounds, yet they all shared the same willingness to act as “guardians” by assisting the Police in preventing crime. He said that the CGCC would continue to encourage the business community to promote the good citizen spirit, so as to make Hong Kong a better place to live and work. Fight Crime Committee member, Ms Cecilia Ho, said that by asking just one more question and taking one more step at critical moments, these individual efforts by members of the public can unite to become the Police’s strongest support in combating crime and saving lives.

In 2025, a total of 80 GCA awardees were commended for assisting the Police in preventing and detecting crime, arresting offenders and saving lives. The “Good Citizen of the Year Award” (GCYA) was presented to Mr Leung Ho-yin, who bravely rescued three people from drowning after they fell into the sea during Super Typhoon Ragasa in Hong Kong last year.

The GCA Scheme is jointly organised by the Hong Kong Police Force and the Fight Crime Committee, with support from the CGCC since 2025. Each awardee receives a cash prize of $4,000, and the GCYA recipient receives $6,000, in recognition of their courage in upholding what is right.

A brand new promotional video series, “A Flash Moment of Good Citizens”, premiered at the ceremony. Adapted from four award-winning cases of 2025, it features the award winners themselves starring in and portraying their pivotal “flash moment” good citizen stories. The videos will be uploaded to the Police Force’s Facebook and YouTube channel.

Woman Jailed for Five Months for Smuggling Duty-Not-Paid Cigarettes and Alternative Smoking Products in Hong Kong.

Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for dealing with duty-not-paid cigarettes and importing alternative smoking products

An incoming female passenger was sentenced to a total of five months' imprisonment by the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts today (March 14) for dealing with duty-not-paid cigarettes, failing to declare them to Customs officers, as well as importing alternative smoking products, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO) and the Import and Export Ordinance (IEO).

Customs officers intercepted an incoming female passenger, aged 50, at Hong Kong International Airport on March 12. A total of 13 000 duty-not-paid cigarettes and 22 000 alternative smoking products, with an estimated market value of about $168,000 and a duty potential of about $42,000, were seized from her 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, cigarettes 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 an alternative smoking product into Hong Kong 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 illicit cigarette 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 Police Honors 80 Citizens for Crime Prevention and Life-Saving Acts at 2025 Good Citizen Award Ceremony.

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