Hong Kong Customs detects two large-scale sea smuggling cases and seizes suspected illicit cigarettes worth about $37 million
Hong Kong Customs recently mounted enforcement operations to combat large-scale illicit cigarette smuggling activities by sea. From August 2 to 3, Customs detected two cases through intelligence exchanges, risk assessments and intelligence analyses. A total of about 8.12 million suspected illicit cigarettes with a total estimated market value of about $37 million and a duty potential of about $27 million were seized.
In the first case, Customs officers intercepted a 40-foot container, declared as carrying an enclosed lifeboat and a rescue boat, and arriving from Singapore for inspection on August 2 at the Kwai Chung Container Terminal. Upon inspection, Customs officers seized about 5.34 million suspected illicit cigarettes from the container. A 51-year-old local man connected with the case was arrested. Customs officers subsequently conducted a controlled delivery operation and further arrested a 68-year-old local man connected with the case.
In the second case, Customs officers intercepted a 40-foot container, declared as carrying toothpaste, skincare products and other goods, and arriving from Incheon, Korea, for inspection on August 3 at the same container terminal. Upon inspection, Customs officers seized about 2.78 million suspected illicit cigarettes from the container. A 42-year-old local man connected with the case was arrested.
The operations displayed Customs' enforcement effectiveness in intercepting cross-border illicit cigarettes at the source through co-operation with law enforcement agencies in the region. The department will continue to foster collaboration and strengthen intelligence exchanges between regional partners in law enforcement, and vigorously combat cross-border illicit cigarette activities.
Customs stresses that smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance (Cap. 60), any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years. Moreover, under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109), any person who 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.
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 Customs detects two large-scale sea smuggling cases and seizes suspected illicit cigarettes worth about $37 million Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Hong Kong Customs detects two large-scale sea smuggling cases and seizes suspected illicit cigarettes worth about $37 million Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Secretary for Health visits Kai Tak Hospital
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, and the Under Secretary for Health, Dr Cecilia Fan, visited the soon-to-open Kai Tak Hospital (KTH) today (August 6) to learn about the facilities of the new hospital, as well as the preparatory work and service arrangements for its first-phase operation.
Accompanied by the Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority (HA), Dr Libby Lee; the Director of Cluster Services of the HA, Dr Wong Yiu-chung; and the Cluster Chief Executive of Kowloon Central Cluster and Hospital Chief Executive of KTH, Dr Eric Cheung, Professor Lo and Dr Fan visited various facilities in the hospital's Specialist Out-patient Clinic Block and the Oncology Block. These facilities will commence operations in the first phase, covering the Family Medicine Integrated Centre (FMIC), Specialist Out-patient Clinics, the Oncology Day Centre, as well as the Patient Resource Centre, and the visitors were briefed on the relevant services.
Professor Lo said, "KTH will replace Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) as the flagship hospital of the Kowloon Central Cluster, with services covering Yau Tsim Mong, Kowloon City, Wong Tai Sin and Kwun Tong districts, serving a population of more than 1.8 million. It will become a future healthcare hub in Kowloon, collaborating with other hospitals in the region to further optimise the overall healthcare services in Kowloon. Furthermore, KTH will provide clinical support to the adjacent Hong Kong Children's Hospital, further strengthening the latter's role as a tertiary Centre of Excellence in Paediatrics."
KTH has a total gross floor area of 500 000 square metres with 2 400 beds. KTH will become the largest public hospital in Hong Kong upon full commissioning. The hospital will commence services in two phases, gradually absorbing majority of the clinical services from QEH. The first phase of services including the FMIC will commence in October this year. Specialist out-patient services of the Departments of Medicine, Surgery, Neurosurgery, Family Medicine, and Oncology (for selected existing patients), as well as allied health services and the services of the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiotherapy, will also be progressively relocated to the new hospital.
Professor Lo said, "Scheduled to commence services on October 5, the FMIC of KTH will be the first clinical project to be launched at the hospital. It will provide extra family medicine consultation quotas, thereby enhancing diagnosis and treatment for patients suffering from chronic and episodic diseases. The FMIC will also provide multidisciplinary care, allied health services, chronic disease prevention and management, patient education, and other supporting services, further strengthening primary healthcare services in Kowloon District."
Professor Lo and Dr Fan also inspected the construction works of the second phase of KTH. The construction progress of the remaining three blocks, namely the Acute Block, the Administration Block, and the Education and Training Block, is on schedule. It is expected that other clinical services, including the Accident and Emergency Department, in-patient and surgery services, will commence in 2028.
To ensure that patients' consultations and treatment remain unaffected during the service relocation period, KTH has established a dedicated team to handle patients' appointment arrangements. In addition to proactively notifying patients by phone, the hospital will send SMS notifications containing the latest consultation location and other relevant details to patients, and mail the updated appointment slips to patients' registered addresses. The HA mobile application "HA Go" will also issue push notifications to remind patients of relevant consultation information three weeks and one day prior to their scheduled appointment date.
For enquiries, members of the public can call the KTH Hotline at 3506 5188. The hotline operates from 10am to 7pm on Mondays to Fridays, and 10am to 2pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, visited the soon-to-open Kai Tak Hospital (KTH) today (August 6) to learn about the facilities of the new hospital, as well as the preparatory work and service arrangements for its first-phase operation. Photo shows Professor Lo (centre); the Permanent Secretary for Health, Mr Thomas Chan (fourth left); the Under Secretary for Health, Dr Cecilia Fan (fourth right); the Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority (HA), Dr Libby Lee (third right); the Director of Cluster Services of the HA, Dr Wong Yiu-chung (second right); the Cluster Chief Executive of Kowloon Central Cluster and Hospital Chief Executive of KTH, Dr Eric Cheung (first right), and other attendees. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau (first right), and the Permanent Secretary for Health, Mr Thomas Chan (second right), visit the soon-to-open Kai Tak Hospital (KTH) today (August 6) to learn about the facilities of the new hospital, as well as the preparatory work and service arrangements for its first-phase operation. Looking on are the Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority, Dr Libby Lee (third left), as well as the Cluster Chief Executive of Kowloon Central Cluster and Hospital Chief Executive of KTH, Dr Eric Cheung (third right). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, visited the soon-to-open Kai Tak Hospital (KTH) today (August 6) to learn about the facilities of the new hospital, as well as the preparatory work and service arrangements for its first-phase operation. Photo shows Professor Lo (second right); the Permanent Secretary for Health, Mr Thomas Chan (first left); and the Under Secretary for Health, Dr Cecilia Fan (third right), listening to an introduction by a hospital staff member on a pharmacy at the Specialist Out-patient Clinic Block. Looking on are the Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority, Dr Libby Lee (second left), as well as the Cluster Chief Executive of Kowloon Central Cluster and Hospital Chief Executive of KTH, Dr Eric Cheung (first right). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, visited the soon-to-open Kai Tak Hospital (KTH) today (August 6) to learn about the facilities of the new hospital, as well as the preparatory work and service arrangements for its first-phase operation. Photo shows Professor Lo (front row, second left); the Permanent Secretary for Health, Mr Thomas Chan (back row, second right); and the Under Secretary for Health, Dr Cecilia Fan (front row, second right), listening to an introduction by the Cluster Chief Executive of Kowloon Central Cluster and Hospital Chief Executive of KTH, Dr Eric Cheung (back row, third right), on the Blood Taking Station at the Specialist Out-patient Clinic Block. Looking on are the Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority (HA), Dr Libby Lee (first row, first right), and the Director of Cluster Services of the HA, Dr Wong Yiu-chung (back row, first right). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, visited the soon-to-open Kai Tak Hospital (KTH) today (August 6) to learn about the facilities of the new hospital, as well as the preparatory work and service arrangements for its first-phase operation. Photo shows Professor Lo (fifth right); the Permanent Secretary for Health, Mr Thomas Chan (seventh right); and the Under Secretary for Health, Dr Cecilia Fan (third right), inspecting the ground floor lobby of the Specialist Out-patient Clinic Block to understand the real-time bus tracking information provided by the hospital. Also accompanying are the Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority (HA), Dr Libby Lee (fourth right); the Director of Cluster Services of the HA, Dr Wong Yiu-chung (sixth right); and the Cluster Chief Executive of Kowloon Central Cluster and Hospital Chief Executive of KTH, Dr Eric Cheung (second right). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
