Hong Kong Customs steps up enforcement operations to combat sea smuggling activities
Hong Kong Customs has mounted a special enforcement operation since late June against sea smuggling activities involving river trade vessels.
Since the operation began, through intelligence analysis and risk assessment, Customs has detected five cases involving river trade vessels departing from Hong Kong for Macao, seizing approximately 1.33 million suspected pharmaceutical products, 3 900 anti-obesity injections, 8 880 cosmetics injections, 59 kilograms of tobacco products, 9 700 cigarettes, 1 500 fishing tools and 723kg of suspected controlled sea cucumber, with an estimated value of about $87.5 million.
Investigations are ongoing. The likelihood of arrests is not ruled out.
Being a government department primarily responsible for tackling smuggling activities, Customs has long been combating various smuggling activities on all fronts. Customs will keep up its enforcement action and continue to resolutely combat sea smuggling activities through proactive risk management and intelligence-based enforcement strategies, and carry out targeted anti-smuggling operations at suitable times to crack down on relevant crimes.
Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years. 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 $500,000 and imprisonment for two 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).
Hong Kong Customs has mounted a special enforcement operation since late June against sea smuggling activities involving river trade vessels. Since the operation began, Customs has detected five cases involving river trade vessels departing from Hong Kong for Macao, seizing large batches of smuggled goods with an estimated value of about $87.5 million. Photo shows the suspected smuggled goods seized. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FEHD releases fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in July
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (July 22) released the fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes and density indexes for Aedes albopictus in July, covering 19 survey areas, as follows:
| District | Survey Area | July 2026 |
| First Phase Gravidtrap Index | First Phase Density Index |
| Eastern | Chai Wan | 17.7% | 1.0 |
| Islands | Cheung Chau | 1.9% | 1.0 |
| Kowloon City | Kowloon Tong | 4.8% | 1.0 |
| North | Fanling North | 0.0% | N/A |
| Tsuen Wan | Ma Wan and Sham Tseng | 7.3% | 1.5 |
| Sheung Kwai Chung | 9.1% | 1.4 |
| Yuen Long | Yuen Long Town | 6.7% | 1.0 |
| District | Survey Area | July 2026 |
| Area Gravidtrap Index | Area Density Index |
| Central and Western | Kennedy Town and Shek Tong Tsui | 7.6% | 1.1 |
| Eastern | Shau Kei Wan and Sai Wan Ho | 19.6% | 1.2 |
| Southern | Pok Fu Lam | 6.8% | 1.0 |
| Mong Kok | Mong Kok and Tai Kok Tsui | 0.8% | 1.0 |
| Sham Shui Po | Sham Shui Po and Shek Kip Mei | 4.9% | 1.5 |
| Wong Tai Sin | Wong Tai Sin West | 3.8% | 1.0 |
| North | Sheung Shui | 8.9% | 1.2 |
| Sai Kung | Tseung Kwan O North | 8.0% | 1.1 |
| Sha Tin | Ma On Shan | 22.7% | 1.1 |
| Tai Po | Tai Po West | 15.5% | 1.0 |
| Kwai Tsing | Lai King | 16.3% | 1.2 |
| Tuen Mun | Tuen Mun North | 5.5% | 1.1 |
The FEHD continues to carry out a series of measures, including:
- convening special meetings of the interdepartmental task forces on anti-mosquito work to co-ordinate relevant departments and stakeholders, such as construction site contractors, schools and property management companies, in strengthening venues'mosquito control work;
- conducting risk assessments to identify locations with more serious mosquito infestations to carry out intensive and targeted mosquito control work, including stepping up inspections, eliminating mosquito breeding and potential breeding grounds, applying larvicides, conducting fogging operations to eradicate adult mosquitoes, and placing mosquito trapping devices at appropriate locations;
- organising exhibitions withrelevant departments and stakeholders,distributing leaflets and posters;and
- notifying residential estates that have subscribed to the gravidtrap Rapid Alert System, advising property management companies and residents to stay vigilant and work together in taking mosquito prevention and elimination measures.
During the follow-up actions and following the discovery of stagnant water or stagnant water containers at two public housing estates and two private housing estates in Tai Po District, the FEHD has issued a total of four statutory notices to the responsible persons-in-charge, requiring the clearance of such items within a specified timeframe.
Public participation is crucial to the effective control of mosquito problems. The FEHD appeals to members of the public to continue to work together in strengthening personal mosquito control measures, including:
- tidy up their premises and check for any accumulation of water inside the premises;
- remove all unnecessary water collections and eliminate the sources;
- check household items (those placed in outdoor and open areas in particular), such as refuse containers, vases, air conditioner drip trays, and laundry racks to prevent stagnant water;
- change water in flower vases and scrub their inner surfaces thoroughly, and remove water in saucers under potted plants at least once a week;
- properly cover all containers that hold water to prevent mosquitoes from accessing the water;
- properly dispose of articles that can contain water, such as disposable meal boxes and empty cans; and
- scrub drains and surface sewers with alkaline detergent at least once a week to remove any mosquito eggs.
Starting in August 2025, following the completion of the surveillance of individual survey areas, and once the latest gravidtrap index and the density index are available, the FEHD has been disseminating relevant information through press releases, its website and social media. It aims to allow members of the public to quickly grasp the mosquito infestation situation and strengthen mosquito control efforts, thereby reducing the risk of chikungunya fever (CF) transmission.
Following recommendations from the World Health Organization and taking into account the local situation in Hong Kong, the FEHD sets up gravidtraps in districts where mosquito-borne diseases have been recorded in the past, as well as in densely populated places such as housing estates, hospitals and schools to monitor the breeding and distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which can transmit CF and dengue fever. At present, the FEHD has set up gravidtraps in 62 survey areas of the community, with a surveillance period of two weeks. During the surveillance period, the FEHD will collect the gravidtraps once a week. After the first week of surveillance, the FEHD will immediately examine the glue boards inside the retrieved gravidtraps for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes to compile the Gravidtrap Index (First Phase) and Density Index (First Phase). At the end of the second week of surveillance, the FEHD will instantly check the glue boards for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes. Data from the two weeks of surveillance will be combined to obtain the Area Gravidtrap Index and the Area Density Index. The Gravidtrap and Density indexes for Aedes albopictus in different survey areas, as well as information on mosquito prevention and control measures, are available on the department's webpage
(www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pestcontrol/dengue_fever/Dengue_Fever_Gravidtrap_Index_Update.html#).
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FEHD releases fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in July Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FEHD releases fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in July Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FEHD releases fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in July Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FEHD releases fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in July Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FEHD releases fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in July Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
