Month: December 2025

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Police Force’s National Security Department has arrested nine men on suspicion of committing “unlawful drilling” offences under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.

The arrestees, aged between 20 and 25, were netted in an operation mounted recently in various districts.

Investigations found that a syndicate conducted unlawful drilling inside a unit of an industrial building in Kowloon. The training encompassed firearm drills, use of tactical knives and combat techniques.

Offensive weapons were seized in the operation.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Task Force on Mental Health Support Following the Tai Po Fire under the Advisory Committee on Mental Health (ACMH) held the second meeting today (December 12) to discuss multiple measures to provide mental health support to families and members of the public affected by the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. The ACMH adopted the stepped care model on mental health and provides services covering prevention, early identification, targeted assessment and referral to specialist services, to take care of the mental health needs of the affected residents and members of the public from different aspects.

     The Chairman of the ACMH, Dr Lam Ching-choi, said, “In the face of this unfortunate incident, we must build a more comprehensive mental health support network. The Task Force is co-ordinating and enhancing multiple measures, aiming to provide timely and appropriate support to every affected family, accompany them through their pain, and help them rebuild their lives.”

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Hong Kong Customs detected a trafficking case involving air cargo and a drug trafficking case involving a passenger at Hong Kong International Airport, and shut down a suspected dangerous drugs distribution centre in Tai Po, seizing a total of about 15 kilograms of suspected ketamine, 1kg of suspected cannabis buds, 40 capsules of suspected etomidate, 660 grams of suspected liquid etomidate, 8g of suspected cannabis oil and 1.7kg of suspected heroin, with a total estimated market value of about $8.9 million. Three males were arrested.

In the first case, through risk assessment and intelligence analysis, Customs officers on December 4 inspected an air parcel, arriving in Hong Kong from Belgium declared as carrying an office display product, at Hong Kong International Airport. Upon inspection, about 15kg of suspected ketamine, with an estimated market value of about $6.1 million, was found concealed inside the parcel.

After follow-up investigations, Customs officers conducted a controlled delivery operation yesterday (December 11) and arrested two male consignees, aged 46 and 29, in Sha Tin and Tai Po respectively. Customs officers then escorted the 29-year-old arrested man to his premises in Tai Po for a search and further seized about 1kg of suspected cannabis buds, 40 capsules of suspected etomidate, 660g of suspected liquid etomidate and 8g of suspected cannabis oil, with a total estimated market value of about $2.1 million.

The second case involved a 25-year-old male passenger arriving in Hong Kong from Bangkok, Thailand, today (December 12). During customs clearance, Customs officers found 1.7 kg of suspected heroin with an estimated market value of about $680,000, concealed in his carry-on suitcase. The man was subsequently arrested.

The investigation of the first case is ongoing. The arrested person in the second case has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug and he will appear at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (December 13).

Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not to participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people.

Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.

Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking 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).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following are the remarks by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, on matters related to the Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po at a media session today (December 12):

Reporter: Good afternoon, Mr Lee, some English questions. Firstly, would the Independent Committee have less investigative power to summon evidence and witnesses unlike a commission of inquiry, especially when the circumstances may not have officially been constituted as a crime yet? How would the Government intend to address this potential issue? With regard to your nine-month time frame as you mentioned, is this enough time? And do you foresee a possibility that you’ll have to extend due to, as you mentioned, the complex and large-scale issues that the committee has to face? And the second question, on the potential redevelopment of Wang Fuk Court, what’s the Government’s plan and time frame on it so far? Does it have an idea where these funds will come from? And also, do you foresee a challenge in getting a consensus from the thousands of residents involved? Thank you. 

Chief Executive: First of all, it is a mammoth task for the Independent Committee (Independent Committee Established in Relation to the Fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po) to achieve examining two very big issues. The first is regarding the causes and circumstances that led to the fire, including the examination of fire service installations and equipment in the buildings, and the supervision and responsibility for their effective operation; whether the construction safety requirements, standards, supervision and day to day maintenance regime for the building maintenance and renovation works were adequate; regarding the building maintenance and renovation works, whether the prevailing list of materials meeting safety standards is comprehensive, and whether related verification and testing systems are effective; the roles and responsibilities of personnel with supervisory roles across all stages, including government offices, authorised professionals, contractors and others; and the liabilities arising from the aforementioned issues. For just this theme, under this topic, you can say the amount of issues to be examined is already a lot. 

     Then the Independent Committee will have to look at another very important issue, which is, regarding large-scale building maintenance and renovation works, to examine whether there are systemic problems such as undue connected interests, conflicts of roles, or improper collusion across all stages of the works; and whether bid-rigging corruption or irregularities were involved in the tendering process of these works. You can see this second issue is an issue that has been troubling a lot of Hong Kong people, because we all live in buildings, and we all, at some stage, will be doing large-scale renovation work, so it affects everybody. We have been seeing cases where a lot of problems have arisen. We should indicate that there are systemic problems, as I have highlighted in this second topic. 

     So you are right, nine months is a very challenging time indeed, but I want to solve the problem as quickly as possible. I want to give what I regard as a realistic time frame, provided the Independent Committee is given sufficient means to manoeuvre. While ensuring the examination is just, they can streamline the procedure and be given more flexibility, so that they can finish their work within the nine months. I also have given them a reserve power; that is, if the Independent Committee considers, while examining all these complicated issues, there may be one which they think, by exercising the power that is given to a statutory commission of inquiry, will help them complete their work, then I am very willing to consider a recommendation by the Independent Committee to seek appointing them as the commission of inquiry. This is the reserve power I will give to them. First, to tell everybody that we must co-operate and assist the Independent Committee to do its very important job, because when the Independent Committee wants to exercise statutory powers, they will be given according to the law and the procedure with the CE-in-Council, considering the recommendation and then deciding to appoint a commission of inquiry with the Independent Committee functioning as such. That will help the Independent Committee to finish all the different issues they want to address within the nine months. 

     I also have mentioned that the Independent Committee can always submit interim reports for issues that they believe have finished their work and let the Government take immediate action. I am very grateful to Mr Justice Lok, because he wants to really help Hong Kong as a whole to address and solve all these problems. He shares the same belief as I do, to ensure that we can do it as soon as possible. I must express my sincere gratitude to the three members of the Independent Committee. It is a big responsibility and challenging tasks within only nine months, but they all have the passion and the love for Hong Kong to be so courageous to take up this responsibility. I am really thankful to them. I take my hat off to them.

     Regarding the long-term housing issues for the victims and the families who suffer in this Tai Po big fire, of course, I am very concerned about the arrangements that may be made possible to take care of their needs, but they have very divergent needs, obviously, because we have so many families, and each family may have their own thinking. There have been a lot of views about what we can do, and I have explained them in my opening. What is important is to listen to what they want. I think they may want things very differently, and whether we will be able to have different options for different families to choose is important, so collecting views from them is very important. Everybody has a very good heart, trying to help them, but I think it will be up to them to tell us what they want, even though there may be different wants and different needs. At the same time, they are still undergoing a difficult period of big transition. While I ask the Task Force (Task Force on Emergency Accommodation Arrangements) to collect views, I think they have to do it in a very tactful manner. We do not want to upset the families while they are at this difficult time. There may be a process for the Task Force to go through to talk to the families in a tactful and right way at the right moment of time as well. That may take a little bit of time, but as I have always asked my people to do, we always want to finish all these things as soon as possible, because the sooner we address all these issues and problems, the quicker we can recover our normal life. I do remember the important message given by Dr CC Lam (Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Mental Health, Dr Lam Ching-choi) when he talked about the importance of mental health and psychological health, which is we should try to come back to normal, day-to-day life as soon as possible. That will be helping not just society but, most importantly, helping the victims and helping their families to go through this difficult time. We will work on that.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The interdepartmental Pest Control Steering Committee (PCSC) provided updates today (December 12) on interdepartmental mosquito control and prevention work progress against chikungunya fever (CF) at Tsing Yi Nature Trails. 

     PCSC members, including the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), and various bureaux and departments, have been working closely in mosquito prevention and control. In 2025, the PCSC held a number of meetings to monitor the mosquito infestation situation, and provide steer to interdepartmental anti-mosquito actions:

(1) At the meeting on March 14, the PCSC discussed the follow-up actions of various departments in response to the anti-mosquito work plan for 2025 that was discussed at the previous meeting at the end of last year;

(2) At the meeting on July 23, the PCSC examined the latest mosquito infestation situation and anti-mosquito measures taken by various departments and discussed measures to prevent CF, particularly in response to a significant increase in CF cases in neighboring areas and some overseas countries. Given the frequent travel of Hong Kong residents to various places, there was a potential risk of local transmission. The PCSC also urged departments to promptly initiate a new round of mosquito prevention and control actions to clear potential breeding grounds after Typhoon Wipha that hit Hong Kong, and thereafter continue to proactively implement mosquito control measures;

     In addition, on August 1, the Chairperson of the PCSC, along with the representatives from the CHP and the FEHD, met with trade representatives to discuss the latest situation regarding CF and the situation overseas, as well as Hong Kong’s risk assessment, border control, emergency preparedness, and public education work. The meeting also urged the trade representatives to step up anti-mosquito work at venues under their purview;

     Furthermore, between July 24 and August 12, the Secretary for Environment and Ecology and the Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology conducted inspections in various districts respectively to assess the relevant response work against CF;

(3) On October 27, following the first local CF case, the PCSC convened a special meeting, urging relevant departments to strengthen mosquito control efforts in areas under their purviews. The District Offices of the FEHD also held interdepartmental meetings at the district level to undergo risk assessment and conduct targeted measures;

     Besides, on October 27, the Secretary for Environment and Ecology visited Fung Tak Estate, where the first local CF case was reported, to inspect the mosquito control work;

(4) The FEHD has consistently acted upon notifications from the CHP of CF and other mosquito-borne diseases by immediately informing relevant departments of their follow-up to the taken. Upon receiving notifications on November 13 of a case involving for the first time a patient who had visited Tsing Yi Nature Trails and reported mosquito bites, the FEHD promptly initiated response measures at the trail and simultaneously informed relevant departments for their follow-up actions to be taken;

     On November 24, in response to several imported CF cases reportedly being bitten by mosquitoes while hiking along the Tsing Yi Nature Trails before symptoms onset, the Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology visited the vicinity of Tsing Yi Nature Trails to learn about the progress of the response work carried out by the FEHD and other relevant departments since November 13;

     At the meeting on November 28, the PCSC reviewed the latest situation regarding CF and the corresponding response efforts, particularly on Tsing Yi Nature Trails:

(a) The progress of the FEHD’s operations to eliminate adult mosquitoes and remove mosquito breeding sites, including the use of large ultra-low volume foggers and trial of robotic dogs to enhance effectiveness. The FEHD also installed new mosquito trapping devices, cleared discarded containers and garbage that could lead to stagnant water, and applied larvicidal oil or larvicides in areas with stagnant water that could not be immediately cleared. Pamphlets were distributed to hikers in the area to raise awareness about mosquito infestations; and

(b) The progress made by the Kwai Tsing District Office, the Tsuen Wan and Kwai Tsing District Lands Offices, the Drainage Services Department (DSD) and the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) in strengthening their actions along the Tsing Yi Nature Trails.

     On the same day, the District Environmental Hygiene Superintendent (Kwai Tsing) of the FEHD held a meeting of the inter-departmental task forces to discuss the latest developments related to the situation and to co-ordinate relevant departments and stakeholders to strengthen mosquito prevention and control measures in venues and areas under their purview;

     On November 28, the CHP determined, based on epidemiological investigation and genome analysis results, that two cases in which the patients visited Tsing Yi Nature Trails, should be classified as locally cases;

(5) In response to the announcement of another local case on December 1 who had visited the Tsing Yi Nature Trails, the Committee Chairperson sent an email to the members on December 2 to inform them of the update and asked them to report on the progress of the follow-up work as requested by FEHD in mid-December. On December 4, the CHP, based on epidemiological investigation and genome analysis results, announced another local case who had also visited the Tsing Yi Nature Trails. On December 6, the CHP announced the determination of another case which had visited the Tsing Yi Nature Trails. Having conducted inspections, the FEHD informed individual departments on December 10 of the outstanding follow-up work. On the same day (December 10), the CHP announced another local case who had also visited the Tsing Yi Nature Trails.

     In the meeting, planned to be held in the later half of December, apart from the anti-mosquito work plan for 2026 originally put on the agenda, the PCSC will also examine the progress of follow-up work by various departments in detail. 

     The FEHD has been conducting regular monitoring of vectors for dengue fever and CF, and has been carrying out comprehensive mosquito control measures across Hong Kong to reduce the risk of transmission of mosquito-borne diseases. The FEHD has set up Aedes albopictus mosquito traps in 64 monitoring areas and all port areas across Hong Kong to monitor the distribution and density of Aedes albopictus in various districts, and to carry out targeted mosquito control work. In addition, the FEHD conducts regular inspections to understand the mosquito situation in various districts and to take early action to control mosquito problems. The mosquito control efforts of the FEHD and relevant departments will not slacken under the cooler weather, and the territory-wide mosquito control campaign is still on-going. The work of various departments is co-ordinated through the PCSC to enhance effectiveness.

     In response to the CF cases, the FEHD has adopted various methods to eliminate vector mosquitoes. These include intensive fogging treatments using ultra-low volume sprayers, which significantly reduce the adult mosquito population in the shortest possible time. Additionally, efforts are made to target the larval stage of mosquitoes by eliminating breeding grounds and applying larvicides, thereby reducing the chance of vertical transmission of the virus in vector mosquitoes (i.e. transmission to the next generation). Furthermore, the FEHD will set up mosquito traps in relevant locations to assess the effectiveness of mosquito control measures. Given that the typical lifespan of a female mosquito is about one month, the related mosquito control efforts will continue for more than a month to eradicate virus-carrying female mosquitoes. Adjustments or extensions will be made based on the latest developments and assessment results of the cases.

     The Tsing Yi Nature Trails are situated in a countryside environment and cover a vast area, with the hiking trails stretching approximately 7 000 metres. Compared with urban settings, mosquito control work there faces greater challenges. Along both sides of the trails, various natural breeding grounds for vectors, including puddles on soil surfaces and fallen leaves, increase the risk of mosquito breeding.

     Currently, tools such as large ultra-low volume foggers and robot dogs have been deployed by the FEHD to conduct 49 fogging operations to kill adult mosquitoes along the hiking trails, covering the entire trails and the perimeter. The FEHD has also eliminated about 1 800 potential mosquito breeding sites, applied larvicide oil or larvicides at around 240 areas with stagnant water that cannot be removed immediately, and installed 29 new mosquito trapping devices. The department is also actively exploring the use of stairlifts and drones to assist in fogging operations. Furthermore, the department has set up 40 temporary mosquito traps at the trail to monitor the effectiveness of the measures and the mosquito situation, and collect adult mosquitoes for vector surveys.

     In addition, pamphlets have been distributed to hikers in the area, urging the public to be vigilant against mosquito infestations and take personal protective measures. The FEHD also visited nearby schools and childcare facilities to provide information and assistance on mosquito prevention and control.

     The FEHD has stepped up inspections of construction sites and residential premises near the trails, instituted two prosecutions against parties responsible for violations related to mosquito breeding, and issued eight statutory notices requiring the elimination of stagnant water.

     The Kwai Tsing District Office (K&TDO), responsible for the maintenance of the Tsing Yi Nature Trails, has instructed its contractor to enhance mosquito prevention and control measures, including grass cutting, clearing blockages in drainage, conducting fogging operations, and application of larvicide oil or larvicides. In addition, the K&TDO has displayed posters at the entrances, pavilions and sitting-out areas along the trails to remind visitors and hikers to use insect repellents and take protective measures. K&TDO also continuously disseminates information on mosquito prevention to residents in the district through the local networks of the District Council Members, Area Committees and Care Teams.

     The DSD has conducted multiple drainage cleaning operations in the vicinity of the Tsing Yi Nature Trails, removing silt and debris from drainage facilities to ensure smooth drainage and prevent stagnant water and mosquito breeding.

     The District Lands Office of Tsuen Wan and Kwai Tsing has progressively removed illegal cultivations, structures, metal canopies, and bamboo sticks on relevant government land. 

     The CEDD has requested contractors and site supervisory staff to arrange site inspections, including its surrounding areas, to ensure that the mosquito prevention measures taken are as effective as possible. Mosquito prevention and control measures include conducting regular inspections, removing stagnant water, applying larvicidal oil, and setting up mosquito traps on-site with regular checks and replacement of baits.

     The PCSC emphasised that it will continue to closely monitor the mosquito situation in Hong Kong and, as always, convene meetings in a timely manner before the rainy season and when necessary to discuss and follow up on inter-departmental mosquito control efforts.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force conducted an enforcement operation yesterday (December 11) and arrested nine men aged between 20 and 25 in various districts. They were suspected of committing the offence of “unlawful drilling” under Section 13 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.
 
     Investigation revealed that a syndicate has been conducting unlawful drilling inside a unit of an industrial building in Kowloon. The training content includes firearms drills, knife techniques and combat techniques.

     Police conducted searches at the unit suspected of being used for unlawful drilling and seized offensive weapons associated with the unlawful drilling.

     The arrested persons are now being detained for further enquiries. The operation is ongoing.

 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     ​The Government has established today (December 12) an Independent Committee in relation to the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. Mr Justice David Lok has been appointed as the Chairman, and Mr Chan Kin-por and Dr Rex Auyeung Pak-kuen have been appointed as Members.

     The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, is extremely concerned about the Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po, which resulted in multiple casualties, and announced on December 2 that an independent committee led by a judge would be established to review the causes of the incident and related issues to prevent similar tragedies in the future.————

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration (OFNAA) is holding a series of eight roving exhibitions themed “Saying NO to Objectionable Information” at shopping malls and government premises starting today (December 12). Through a range of interactive experiences such as exhibition panels, game booths and educational videos, the exhibition aims to enhance the public’s understanding of the Control of Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance (Cap. 390) (COIAO) and promote healthy Internet use among children and young people.
 
     The first roving exhibition is open from 10.30am to 6.30pm at G/F, Atrium, Domain Mall in Yau Tong for three consecutive days starting today. Members of the public are welcome to visit. Details of the exhibition are available on OFNAA’s website.

     The Director of Film, Newspaper and Article Administration, Mr Chaucer Leung, visited the first roving exhibition today, during which he said, “OFNAA has been conducting publicity and educational work as well as working with various stakeholders to help children and young people develop the concept of the proper use of the Internet. I invite the public to bring their children to the exhibition to help them understand the importance of rejecting harmful materials.” Mr Leung also exchanged views with the Healthy Information Student Ambassadors of the Healthy Information Student Ambassadors Scheme 2025, thanked them for assisting in promoting the message of safe and healthy use of the Internet, and encouraged them to set a good example among their peers.
 
     In addition, OFNAA has actively strengthened interdepartmental collaboration through the past few months, working in conjunction with the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, the Education Bureau, the Hong Kong Police Force, and the Customs and Excise Department to promote information on the COIAO and the message on healthy Internet use to young people, teaching staff members and the public through social media and talks. Initiatives include participating in the Primary Principals Liaison Meeting and briefing principals of participating schools on OFNAA’s support to schools; partnering with the Hong Kong Police Force to organise 13 “Wise Use of Internet” talks to share common online pitfalls with 2 600 members of the Junior Police Call as well as primary and secondary school students; and organising a talk for members of “Customs YES” to promote the message of rejecting harmful materials.
 
     With the aim of promoting the message of rejecting harmful materials to children and young people in a more targeted manner and enhancing their understanding of the COIAO, OFNAA also reached out to schools by introducing in-school mobile promotion stations in the current school year. The initiative seeks to allow the concept of healthy Internet use to take root firmly on campuses through enjoyable educational experiences fostered by activities including interactive games, case sharing, role play, quiz competitions and exhibitions. The first two sessions of in-school mobile promotion stations were held this week at primary and secondary schools in Tsuen Wan and Tseung Kwan O respectively, and the remaining 18 sessions will be held in the coming three months in various districts. It is expected that the initiative would attract about 4 000 participants.
 
     With the rising popularity of emerging platforms such as video streaming platforms, video sharing platforms and social media among children and young people, OFNAA will also enhance multimedia publicity efforts to produce animated promotional videos for uploading onto the Internet and for playback at various publicity programmes. Students will also be encouraged to share the videos with their friends, thereby promoting the message of rejecting harmful materials among peers. The animated videos will be released by the end of the month.
 
     OFNAA will continue to organise a series of programmes to actively promote the message of staying away from obscene and indecent content on the Internet, including talks, workshops, roving drama for schools, webinars, as well as the Healthy Information Student Ambassadors Scheme and the Healthy Chinese Public Speaking Competition. For details, please visit OFNAA’s website.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

To safeguard food safety, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has long been committed to combating the illegal sale of hairy crabs, with a view to ensuring that hairy crabs on sale in the market comply with relevant requirements under the laws. The FEHD officers conducted a blitz operation yesterday (December 11), inspected a licensed general restaurant at Fuk Lo Tsun Road in Kowloon City and prosecuted the operator for suspected contravention of the Food Business Regulation (Cap. 132X) (the Regulation) by selling restricted food (hairy crabs) without permission. 

Under the Regulation, save with the written permission of the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene (DFEH), no person shall sell any restricted foods, including shellfish. Operators selling hairy crabs shall obtain the Shell Fish (Hairy Crab) Permit or relevant written permission granted by the FEHD; or, if the shop already holds another relevant FEHD licence (such as a fresh provision shop licence) or operates a fish stall in a market managed by the FEHD, the operator must apply for written permission. Premises holding a permit or licence must, in accordance with the law, display the permit or licence prominently. If the operator sells only through online platforms, they must apply for an online sale of restricted food permit. The website or online platform account homepage selling hairy crabs must clearly display the permit information, such as the permit number, registered address, and the types of restricted foods approved for sale. The relevant regulatory condition also stipulates that hairy crabs for sale shall be obtained from a reliable and reputable source. A copy of the health certificate issued by the relevant authority and acceptable to the DFEH shall also be kept. Under the Regulation, any person who operates an unlicensed food business or sells restricted foods without permission commits an offence and is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months upon conviction.

The FEHD reminds the trade not to import or put on sale hairy crabs or other food with an unknown origin, and consumers should make purchases at reputable shops with the Shell Fish (Hairy Crab) Permit or relevant written permission granted by the FEHD.

If members of the public suspect that there are operators selling hairy crabs without the relevant permits/permissions or the hairy crabs are not accompanied by health certificates, they may make a report by calling the FEHD hotline at 2868 0000 or through email (enquiries@fehd.gov.hk).