Month: March 2026

SJ to lead legal sector delegation to Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Nanjing 
     Mr Lam will conclude his visit and return to Hong Kong on March 26. During Mr Lam’s absence, the Deputy Secretary for Justice, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan, will be the Acting Secretary for Justice. 
Issued at HKT 16:00

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Police open fire in Kwai Chung 
     Police received a number of reports from 0.17am that a man holding sharp objects was found wandering outside MTR Tsuen Wan Station and Castle Peak Road – Kwai Chung. Police officers sped to the scene and located the man, who was holding a 20-inch long knife and a one-metre long iron pole, outside a garden on Castle Peak Road – Kwai Chung.

     Police officers attempted to persuade the man to disarm himself and gave verbal warnings, but the man turned emotional and attempted to attack the officers. An officer then discharged one burst of pepper spray. Officers faced serious threats to life and gave multiple verbal warnings to the man but in vain. To ensure public safety, three officers subsequently fired a total of five shots at him. 
     Investigations by the Regional Crime Unit of New Territories South are under way. Anyone who has any information to offer is urged to contact the investigating officers on 3661 1217.
Issued at HKT 14:03

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Winners of Hong Kong Flower Show plant exhibit competition announced  
     Mr Yau Hok-leung won the Open Section with a pot of exquisite flowering bonsai, while students from Choi Wan St Joseph’s Primary School won the School Section with two pots of outstanding ornamental fruit plants.
 
     The winner of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) Oriental Style Garden Plot Competition was Central and Western District’s “Pottinger Street” (Stone Slab Street), while Tuen Mun District’s Beehive Garden won the LCSD Western Style Garden Plot Competition.
 
     Under the theme “A Fragrant Journey through Hong Kong”, the flower show is being held at Victoria Park until March 29 from 9am to 9pm daily, featuring the elegant stock as its theme flower.
 
     Some 400 000 flowers including about 40 000 stocks are on display. More than 230 organisations have participated in the event. Large-scale landscape installations along the showground axis are themed around distinctive features of Hong Kong. In addition to city landmarks, the display also features local delicacies, rural landscapes, natural scenery and outlying island culture.
 
     Entries of the plant exhibit competition are being displayed in the Floral Marquee at the central lawn. Also on display is a miniature exhibition featuring exquisitely crafted miniature scenes to showcase local life and culture. A thoughtfully arranged indoor garden, “Café de Fleurs”, a pop-up library, floral art demonstrations and music performances are also available.
 
     A diverse range of educational and recreational fringe activities are also offered for visitors. The fun-filled family programmes being held at the central lawn include balloon-twisting, magic shows, bouncy games, Jockey Club Community Green Playground, green activities workshops, busking performances, as well as the colourful Easter egg and bunny-themed installations, which serve as photo spots for visitors.
 
     Other programmes in the showground’s main stage include talks, music and dance performances, and more. There will also be floral art demonstrations by florists, which is a must-see for floral lovers. For the schedule of the activities, please refer to the webpage www.hkflowershow.hk/en/hkfs/2026/activities.html 
     To support environmental protection, visitors are encouraged to bring their own water bottles and green shopping bags. QR codes are also provided in the showground for downloading the location map and information on the theme flower and major attractions.
 
     For more details of the flower show and its admission fee arrangements, please visit the event webpage www.hkflowershow.hk/en/hkfs/2026/index.html 
     The flower show is organised by the LCSD. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust has supported the flower show since 2013, and has been its major sponsor since 2014.
Issued at HKT 13:00

Three incoming passengers convicted and jailed for possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes       
     Customs officers intercepted an incoming 75-year-old male passenger at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point on March 21 and seized 1 781 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $7,300 and a duty potential of about $5,800, from his personal baggage. He was subsequently arrested. He was sentenced to 12 weeks’ imprisonment and fined $1,800 by the Fanling Magistrates’ Courts today.
      
     On the same day, Customs officers intercepted a 48-year-old incoming female passenger and her accompanying teenager at the Lo Wu Control Point and seized 5 781 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $24,000 and a duty potential of about $19,000, from their personal baggage. The female passenger was subsequently arrested. She was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment and fined $1,500 by the Fanling Magistrates’ Courts today.
      
     In addition, Customs officers intercepted a 43-year-old incoming male passenger at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (March 22) and seized about 67 200 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $302,000 and a duty potential of about $222,000, from his personal baggage. The passenger was subsequently arrested. He was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment and fined $1,000 by the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts today.
      
     Customs welcomes the sentences. The custodial sentences have imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflect the seriousness of the offences.
      
     Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, cigarettes are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, 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.hkIssued at HKT 19:00

Pest Control Steering Committee reviews progress of anti-mosquito and anti-rodent work implemented by departments (with photo) 
Mosquito control
 
     The representative of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) reported to the PCSC its work on mosquito control over the past year and the progress of this year’s initiatives. The overall situation of mosquito infestation was generally under control. It is worth noting that the FEHD temporarily extended its intensified mosquito control work, which was originally activated when the area gravidtrap index (AGI) reaches 20 per cent (Level 3), to cover areas with the AGI fall between 10 and 20 per cent (Level 2), until further notice. In addition, the survey area of gravidtrap for Aedes albopictus in the Tsing Yi North has been extended to cover the Tsing Yi Nature Trails. The FEHD will continue to leverage technologies, including robotic dogs and drones, to support its mosquito prevention and control work.
      
     According to the mosquito surveillance data, the overall trend of the gravidtrap index for Aedes albopictus has remained similar to past years. The indices for January and February 2026 remained low, consistent with the same period in past years. As the warm and humid weather of spring approaches, the gravidtrap index is anticipated to rise along with warmer weather and the rainy season as in previous years. The FEHD and relevant departments will continue to strengthen mosquito prevention and control work, including eliminating mosquito breeding grounds, applying larvicides, conducting fogging operations to eliminate adult mosquitoes, and installing mosquito trapping devices at suitable locations. The FEHD will also continue to conduct joint on-site inspections with relevant departments, and provide them with professional advice and technical guidance.
      
     Representatives from the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health (DH) presented the latest risk assessment of mosquito-borne diseases. As the hot and rainy weather approaches, coupled with the increase in inbound and outbound passenger traffic during the upcoming long holidays, the overall risk of importing and locally transmitting mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever and chikungunya fever is expected to increase. To prevent mosquito-borne diseases, members of the public are advised to wear loose, light-coloured long-sleeved tops and trousers, and apply DEET-containing insect repellent on exposed parts of the body and clothing. Travellers returning from areas affected by mosquito-borne diseases should apply insect repellent for 14 days upon arrival in Hong Kong. The departments will closely monitor the situation of mosquito infestation as reflected by the surveillance indices, and continue to update the list of mosquito infestation hotspots to facilitate adjustments and deployment based on the actual situation, ensuring prompt and effective mosquito prevention and control work. The FEHD will continue to convene meetings of the inter-departmental task forces on anti-mosquito work in the district to co-ordinate frontline departments and stakeholders for mosquito control, including eliminating potential mosquito breeding places before the rainy season, as well as conducting fogging operations in a timely and concerted manner until the end of the rainy season, to mitigate the risk of mosquito-borne disease transmission. In addition, the FEHD, in collaboration with the Education Bureau (EDB), will progressively install new mosquito trapping devices (MTDs) in secondary schools, primary schools and special schools registered with the EDB, to further strengthen mosquito prevention and control on campuses. Representatives from the EDB also shared that schools generally welcome the installation of the MTDs on their campuses.

Rodent control
 
     ​Since 2024, the FEHD has fully adopted thermal imaging cameras with artificial intelligence technology to monitor rodent activity and enumerate Rodent Absence Rate, to more accurately reflect the situation of rodent infestation. At the meeting, the FEHD presented the mechanism and considerations for installing thermal imaging cameras at the selected locations during each round of Rodent Activity Surveys (RAS) to capture infestation conditions, and explained how the FEHD utilises data on rodent infestations and locations derived from the new technology to collaborate with other departments, local businesses and residents in implementing more targeted measures to enhance the efficiency of rodent control. Representatives from the Housing Department (HD) and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) also reported on how they have deployed data-driven strategies to prevent and control rodent infestations and the results achieved, following the extension of RAS to include public rental housing estates, parks and recreational facilities under their respective purview.
 
     The FEHD launched the Charter in December 2024, inviting property management companies, owners’ corporations and residents’ organisations of private residential premises to participate and work together to create rodent-free environments. As at February this year, more than 770 organisations and groups have signed the Charter, covering about 720 000 households. Since the launch of the Charter, the FEHD has actively collaborated with stakeholders, including working with the Property Management Services Authority, and encouraging more estate property management companies and owners’ corporations to sign the Charter through the HD and the Hong Kong Housing Society. In January this year, the FEHD launched the Anti-rodent Partner Awards 2026 to commend premises that have performed excellently in rodent control work. Through this commendation, the FEHD aims to continue to raise community awareness of rodent prevention and control, strengthen collaboration, and jointly create a clean and hygienic living environment. The FEHD will further expand the coverage of the Charter to include property management companies of shopping centres, enhancing the sustained benefits of the Charter and strengthening the overall rodent control effectiveness in the community.
 
     The Environment and Ecology Bureau will continue to co-ordinate the “Cross-sectoral Territory-wide Anti-rodent Action”, implementing all-rounded rodent control measures with cross-sector, multi-disciplinary and community involvement.
      
     The meeting today was chaired by the Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong. Government bureaux, departments and organisations attending the meeting were the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department; the Architectural Services Department; the Buildings Department; the Civil Engineering and Development Department; the Development Bureau; the DH; the Drainage Services Department; the EDB; the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department; the Environmental Protection Department; the FEHD; the Government Property Agency; the Hospital Authority; the Home Affairs Department; the HD; the Highways Department; the Information Services Department; the Lands Department; the LCSD; the Social Welfare Department and the Water Supplies Department.
Issued at HKT 20:10

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One man arrested and charged with attempted wounding with intent and possession of offensive weapon

     Police arrested a 43-year-old man on March 21 and laid holding charges against him yesterday (March 22) with one count of attempted wounding with intent and one count of possession of offensive weapon.Issued at HKT 19:58

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Pending infanticide in Wan Chai

     Police are investigating a pending infanticide case happened in Wan Chai today (March 23) in which a baby boy died.     
     Post-mortem examinations will be conducted later to ascertain the cause of death of the deceased.Issued at HKT 19:49

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