11th Day for Wang Fuk Residents' Returning: Access Arrangements Proceed Smoothly Amid Support from Government Personnel

Government concludes eleventh-day arrangements for Wang Fuk Court residents returning to their units

Today (April 30) is the eleventh day of phased arrangements for residents of seven blocks of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po to return to their units. Five low-zone floors of Wang Tai House and 10 middle-zone floors of Wang Kin House were opened. The access arrangements were carried out in an orderly manner and operated smoothly.

A total of 118 households (437 people) registered to return to their units today through the "one social worker per household" service, while 117 households (457 people) actually turned up.

The average time residents spent entering and leaving the building today was two hours and 25 minutes, with the shortest time being 14 minutes and the longest three hours and 40 minutes. About 77 per cent of the residents stayed in the building for less than three hours. About 27 per cent of the residents stayed in the building for less than two hours. About 4 per cent of the residents stayed in the building for less than one hour.

A total of 65 households (123 people) went up and down the building more than once. Among them, 25 households (55 people) made one additional trip, 26 households (48 people) made two additional trips, 11 households (15 people) made three additional trips, 2 household (3 people) made four additional trips, and 1 household (2 people) made five or above additional trips.

The integrated enquiry counter set up by relevant departments today received nine cases requesting police assistance and one case involving resident seeking help due to physical discomfort.

The nine cases requesting police assistance involved suspected loss of property, including watches, jewellery, cash and gold items. Officers were immediately deployed to assist in searches, and in one case, the unit concerned was severely damaged and residents believed after investigation that the property might have been destroyed by fire. In another five cases, there were no signs of ransacking in the units, and the residents could not provide details on the property concerned. For the remaining three cases, the Police will make further investigation.

The Government spares no effort in supporting the residents returning to their units. Each day, the Government deploys over 1 000 personnel from various departments, including the Police, the Civil Aid Service, the Fire Services Department, the Auxiliary Medical Service, the Home Affairs Department, the Social Welfare Department (SWD), the Housing Department, and the Housing Bureau, as well as District Services and Community Care Teams members. The "Government-wide Mobilisation" mechanism has also been activated to bring together greater interdepartmental resources to support residents.

Under the "Government-wide Mobilisation" mechanism, the Civil Service Bureau has co-ordinated nine government departments to mobilise civil servants to form the Government Quick Response Unit to support these access arrangements. These civil servants come from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD), the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), the Environmental Protection Department, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the Lands Department (LandsD), the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), the Post Office, and the Water Supplies Department (WSD). They will form dedicated teams with social workers and clinical psychologists from the SWD, stationed on different floors to provide support to residents returning to their units. The civil servants mobilised in the first three days were from the AFCD, those mobilised from the fourth day to the sixth day are from the EMSD and the LCSD, those mobilised from the seventh day to the ninth day are from the LandsD and the WSD, while those mobilised from the tenth day to the twelfth day (including today) are from the Post Office and the ArchSD.

Police officers and members of the Civil Aid Service, together with volunteers from the District Services and Community Care Teams, work together to help residents returning to their units move their belongings. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Police officers and members of the Civil Aid Service work together to help residents returning to their units move their belongings. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Housing Bureau and the Housing Department attach great importance to the arrangements for residents of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po returning to their units. To ensure a safe and smooth process, engineers are stationed on the building floors to provide residents with immediate on-site assistance anytime. Prior to residents' return, the team also conducts a thorough inspection of all floors to check the safety of flat entrance doors, temporary supports and window safety nets. The team also ensures that corridors are cleared of miscellaneous items, directions are clearly marked, and temporary lighting and washrooms are operating properly. Photo shows engineers of the Housing Bureau carefully inspecting the corridor wall of the building before residents return, to ensure that no sharp objects are exposed. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs teams up with Mainland and Macao Customs to combat cross-boundary counterfeit goods transshipment activities

Hong Kong Customs conducted an enforcement operation with the Mainland and Macao Customs from April 13 to April 24, during which inspections of goods across the three places and destined for countries in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia were stepped up, with a view to combating cross-boundary and transshipment counterfeiting activities. During the operation, Hong Kong Customs detected 23 cases and seized about 46 000 suspected counterfeit goods, including watches, mobile phones, bags, clothing, footwear and electronic products, with a total estimated market value of about $16 million.

Through intelligence analysis and detailed investigations, Hong Kong Customs in the operation detected 21 related cases at a number of local express couriers and logistics companies.

Meanwhile, Customs officers detected two cases at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port, seizing a batch of suspected counterfeit goods from two incoming lorries. Two male lorry drivers, aged 48 and 52, were arrested. An investigation is ongoing. The two arrestees have been released on bail pending further investigation.

Hong Kong Customs will continue to work closely with the Mainland Customs, Macao Customs and overseas law enforcement agencies to vigorously combat cross-boundary counterfeit goods transshipping activities through intelligence exchanges and joint enforcement actions.

Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, any person who imports or exports any goods to which a forged trademark is applied commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.

Members of the public may report any suspected counterfeiting activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 80 80 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Hong Kong Customs conducted an enforcement operation with the Mainland and Macao Customs from April 13 to April 24, during which inspections of goods across the three places and destined for countries in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia were stepped up, with a view to combating cross-boundary and transshipment counterfeiting activities. During the operation, Hong Kong Customs detected 23 cases and seized about 46 000 suspected counterfeit goods, including watches, mobile phones, bags, clothing, footwear and electronic products etc, with a total estimated market value of about $16 million. Photo shows the suspected counterfeit goods seized. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases