Hong Kong E-Channel Service Eligibility Relaxed for Residents Using HZMB Port

Enhanced enrolment arrangements of Pilot Seamless e-Channel service for Hong Kong residents announced

The Immigration Department (ImmD) announced today (September 24), that with immediate effect, the eligibility criteria for enrolment in the Pilot Seamless e-Channel service will be relaxed. Under the new arrangements, Hong Kong permanent residents aged 11 or above holding a valid smart identity card and have arrived in or departed from Hong Kong via the Passenger Clearance Building of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) Hong Kong Port six times or more in the past 90 days are eligible to enrol for the service.

Moreover, eligible Hong Kong residents aged 18 or above, in addition to enrolling via the ImmD's Contactless e-Channel mobile application, with immediate effect can also enrol via the designated e-Channels installed at the HZMB Hong Kong Port. For passengers using the designated e-Channels for immigration clearance, the system will automatically identify eligible passengers for enrolment into the Seamless e-Channel service and display a prompt message for enrolment. The passenger could select to enrol in the Seamless e-Channel service on the e-Channel screen and simply conduct immigration clearance and complete the enrolment for the Seamless e-Channel service at the same time. Upon completion of enrolment, passengers can use the Seamless e-Channel service for their next departure.

The Seamless e-Channel pilot scheme was launched on June 25 at the HZMB Hong Kong Port. The Seamless e-Channel adopts an open-gate design and utilises AI and facial recognition technology to verify users' identities. Passengers need not stop at any point, nor do they need to present a Hong Kong Identity Card or an e-Channel QR code when passing through the Seamless e-Channnel. The entire departure clearance takes just five seconds. Since the service was launched in June of this year, approximately 14,000 eligible Hong Kong permanent residents have enrolled in the service and over 100,000 passengers have passed through Seamless e-Channels.

The ImmD will collect more data and review the effectiveness of the service and system operations, and will explore the feasibility of extending the service to other immigration control points and relaxing the eligibility criteria for enrolment into the Seamless e-Channel service for other passengers.

For details of the Seamless e-Channel service, please visit the ImmD's website at www.immd.gov.hk/sec. For enquiries, please call the enquiry hotline at 2824 6111, fax to 2877 7711 or send an email at enquiry@immd.gov.hk.

Enhanced enrolment arrangements of Pilot Seamless e-Channel service for Hong Kong residents announced Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs detects five smuggling cases involving ocean-going vessels with goods worth about $140 million seized

Hong Kong Customs detected five suspected smuggling cases involving ocean-going vessels in September. Large batches of suspected smuggled goods with a total estimated market value of about $140 million were seized.

Through intelligence analysis and risk assessment, Customs discovered that criminals intended to use ocean-going vessels to smuggle goods. Enforcement operations were thus formulated, with 13 suspicious containers scheduled to depart from Hong Kong to Australia via ocean-going vessels selected for inspection.

Upon examination, Customs officers found large batches of suspected smuggled goods, including about 14 million suspected illicit cigarettes, about 7 400 kilograms of suspected duty-not-paid manufactured tobacco, electronic products, vehicle parts, from the 13 containers, which were declared as carrying household goods, including storage boxes, pillows, towels, sofas and mattresses.

An investigation is 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 at the forefront. Customs will keep up its enforcement action and continue to fiercely combat sea smuggling activities through proactive risk management and intelligence-based enforcement strategies, and carry out targeted anti-smuggling operations at suitable times to disrupt 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 to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years upon conviction.

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 detects five smuggling cases involving ocean-going vessels with goods worth about $140 million seized Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs detects five smuggling cases involving ocean-going vessels with goods worth about $140 million seized Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs detects five smuggling cases involving ocean-going vessels with goods worth about $140 million seized Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases