Hong Kong Customs arrests sole proprietor of hobby shop
Hong Kong Customs yesterday (July 7) arrested a hobby shop sole proprietor on suspicion of engaging in wrongly accepting payments in the course of selling hobby products, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO).
Customs earlier received a number of reports alleging that someone sold hobby products through his/her own online shop, an online marketplace with instant-messaging software, but failed to supply the ordered goods within the specified date or a reasonable period after accepting payments from customers. Also, no refund was offered in a timely manner. As of yesterday, the reports received by Customs involved 13 customers and 276 hobby products, with the total monetary amount involved being about $238,000.
After investigations, Customs officers yesterday arrested a 31-year-old man suspected to be connected with the case. He is the sole proprietor of the hobby shop.
An investigation is ongoing. The arrested man has been released on bail pending further investigation.
Customs reminds traders to comply with the requirements of the TDO. Under the TDO, any trader commits an offence if at the time of acceptance of payment, the trader intends not to supply the product or intends to supply a materially different product, or there are no reasonable grounds for believing that the trader will be able to supply the product within a specified or reasonable period. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.
Meanwhile, consumers should make orders through reputable traders. After purchasing the products, consumers should keep the transaction documents, such as records of communication, receipts of payment, etc, as a basis of a complaint in the future.
Members of the public may report any suspected violations of the TDO 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).
Source: AI-found images
ICAC continues to combat corruption on all fronts charting new milestones for the Country and Hong Kong
The following press release is issued on behalf of the Independent Commission Against Corruption:
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) will actively align with the 15th Five-Year Plan of the Country in combating corruption and fully co-operate with the Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan to continue advancing its anti-corruption work, charting new milestones for the Country and Hong Kong, according to its latest annual report.
Tabling the 2025 ICAC Annual Report at the Legislative Council today (July 8), Member of the Legislative Council and Member of the ICAC's Advisory Committee on Corruption the Hon Chan Yung, noted that last year, the Commission continued to adopt its "three-pronged" strategy in fighting corruption through law enforcement, prevention, and education, bringing fruitful results. The ICAC also actively promoted international co-operation, making significant contributions to the global anti-corruption cause.
Hong Kong's probity situation remained highly acclaimed by international ranking institutions. In the "Corruption Perceptions Index 2025" released by Transparency International, Hong Kong was ranked 12th out of 182 countries and territories, rose five places from the previous year to the second place in Asia.
In the 2025 ICAC Annual Report, the ICAC Commissioner, Mr Woo Ying-ming, remarked that the Recommendations of the CPC Central Committee for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development, which provided a top-level design and strategic blueprint for the Country's development over the next five years, will be of great significance and impact to Hong Kong. The ICAC will actively align with its anti-corruption work to promote a culture of probity and fully co-operate with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region(HKSAR) Government's five-year plan to ensure that Hong Kong aligns with national policies with integrity.
"The ICAC will continue to combat corruption through robust law enforcement to safeguard Hong Kong's rule of law. With our anti-corruption mission as our driving force, the ICAC will actively align with the national development strategy and support the Chief Executive and the HKSAR Government in improving the executive-led system. The Commission will stand firm to advance its anti-corruption work, charting new milestones for the Country and Hong Kong," Mr Woo noted.
In 2025, the ICAC received a total of 1 780 non-election-related corruption complaints, representing a decrease of 14per cent compared to 2024. Public trust in the Commission remained strong, as approximately 70 per cent of the overall corruption complaints were non-anonymous. The ICAC Annual Survey published last year showed that 98.7per cent of respondents stated they had not come across corruption personally in the past year, consistent with the findings over the past decade.
In the public sector, the civil servants remained clean and honest. The ICAC completed 67 assignment studies for government departments and public bodies as part of a sustained effort to reduce corruption risks in public administration. The ICAC has been working closely with heads of departments to strengthen internal governance and improve overall effectiveness.
As for the private sector, the industries receiving the most corruption complaints remain a priority focus for the ICAC. Regarding the building management and maintenance subsector, the ICAC took the lead in hosting the first-ever Building Management Summit in Hong Kong in June 2025, aiming to gather all stakeholders, including relevant government departments and organisations, to jointly address these issues of public concern.
Following the Wang Fuk Court Fire in Tai Po, the public concerned more about issues relating to building management and maintenance, leading to an increase in corruption complaints. The ICAC has allocated additional resources to focus on handling these cases. The Commission will continue to co-operate closely with relevant government departments and regulatory bodies to combat corruption, bid-rigging, and other illegal activities in building renovation projects. It will also intervene early to alert flat owners to the risks of bid-rigging when contracts are awarded, thereby intercepting potential illegal activities and safeguarding the benefits of flat owners.
Regarding the finance and insurance subsectors, the ICAC has been advancing the "Banking Industry Integrity Charter" (BIIC). As of the end of 2025, all 165 licensed and restricted licence banks in Hong Kong had joined the BIIC. As for the construction subsector, the ICAC uncovered corruption and fraud in a private residential project in May 2025 and subsequently provided a series of corruption prevention recommendations to the Buildings Department.
On the integrity education and publicity front, the ICAC is committed to continuous innovation, creating an immersive anti-corruption education experience. Following the opening of the Café "1974", the ICAC Exhibition Hall was fully renovated, extensively incorporating technological elements to attract both the public and tourists.
In promoting international anti-corruption co-operation, the ICAC actively played the role of a "super connector" in recent years. Through a "going global and bringing in" dual strategy, the ICAC shared Hong Kong's anti-corruption experience with global partners, supporting the Country's strategy of building a "Clean Belt and Road". During the year, the ICAC signed Memoranda of Understanding with anti-corruption agencies of various "Belt and Road" countries, further expanding its networks in Europe and the Middle East under the initiative.
Meanwhile, the ICAC continued to promote probity values and an integrity culture through the "Anti-Corruption Tripartite Partnership" forged among the Commission, the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA) and the Hong Kong International Academy Against Corruption (HKIAAC), leveraging Hong Kong's advantages of "one country, two systems".
In October 2025, Mr Woo was invited for the first time as President of the IAACA to attend the Group of 20 Anti-Corruption Working Group Meeting in South Africa. Mr Woo shared anti-corruption experiences while establishing strategic collaborations with anti-corruption counterparts.
The ICAC successfully transformed the HKIAAC into an international anti-corruption training platform. During the year, the HKIAAC organised 20 international training programmes, attracting about 1 800 participants from anti-corruption and related agencies around the world, effectively telling the good stories of Hong Kong's rule of law and anti-corruption journey. The HKIAAC also conducted 11 local professional training programmes, which were attended by over 800 senior managers and professionals from various sectors.
To foster international anti-corruption collaboration, the ICAC further deepened its co-operation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). For example, the ICAC is co-developing the Guide on Corruption Risk Management in Prison Systems with the UNODC, the ICAC also supported development of the Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities under the auspices of the UNODC, and jointly hosted the "Coding4Integrity Asian Youth Anti-Corruption Hackathon" with the UNODC and the IAACA.
Charting a new road ahead, Mr Woo noted that the anti-corruption journey is always marked by a series of tough battles. The ICAC will persistently innovate anti-corruption strategies, enhance professional competence, and embrace innovative technologies to improve work effectiveness and efficiency.
2025 ICAC Annual Report: www.icac.org.hk/icac/annual-report/2025/.
Source: AI-found images
