Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (July 20) announced that a sample of iron goddess basque burnt cheesecake was found to contain an excessive amount of Bacillus cereus. The CFS is following up on the incident.

A spokesman for the CFS said, “The CFS collected the above-mentioned sample from a bakery in Causeway Bay for testing. The test result showed that the sample contained Bacillus cereus at a level of 280 000 per gram. According to the Microbiological Guidelines for Food, if ready-to-eat food contains Bacillus cereus at a level of more than 100 000 per gram, it is considered unsatisfactory.”

The CFS instantly sent staff to the bakery concerned for an investigation, and has informed it of the irregularity. The bakery concerned has stopped selling and discarded the affected product according to the CFS’s instruction. The CFS has also provided education on food safety and hygiene to the staff of the bakery concerned, and requested that they carry out thorough cleaning and disinfection.

“Bacillus cereus is commonly found in the environment. Unhygienic conditions in food processing and storage may give rise to its growth. Consuming food contaminated with excessive Bacillus cereus or its heat-stable toxins may cause gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting and diarrhoea,” the spokesman said.

According to section 54 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132), all food available for sale in Hong Kong, locally produced or imported, should be fit for human consumption. An offender is subject to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months upon conviction.

The CFS will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action. The investigation is ongoing.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Hong Kong Customs on June 29 seized a large batch of suspected smuggled alternative smoking products, with an estimated market value of about $12 million, at the Tuen Mun River Trade Terminal Customs Cargo Examination Compound.

     Through risk assessment, Customs on that day inspected a 40-foot container, declared as carrying plastic lunch boxes, arriving in Hong Kong from the Mainland. After inspection, Customs officers found 64 486 suspected smuggled alternative smoking products in the container.

     An investigation is ongoing. The likelihood of arrests is not ruled out.

     Customs will continue to take stringent enforcement actions against all kinds of smuggling activities through risk assessment and intelligence analysis.

     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.
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     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).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Hong Kong Customs yesterday (July 18) seized 11 live lizards of suspected scheduled endangered species at Hong Kong International Airport, with an estimated market value of about $205,000.

Through risk assessment, Customs officers intercepted a parcel declared to contain pet chew stick imported from Australia to Hong Kong yesterday. Upon inspection, Customs officers found the batch of live lizards of suspected scheduled endangered species mix-loaded with pet products and concealed in multiple metal boxes in the parcel.

The case was handed over to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department for follow-up action.

Under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap. 586), any person importing, exporting or possessing specimens of endangered species not in accordance with the Ordinance commits an offence and will be liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for 10 years upon conviction with the specimens forfeited.

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).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Two incoming passengers were each sentenced to seven months’ imprisonment with a fine of $1,000 by the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts today (July 18) for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO) (Cap. 109).
 
Customs officers intercepted two inbound private cars at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) Hong Kong Port on July 17.  A 38-year-old Mainland female passenger and a 32-year-old Mainland male passenger, arriving in Hong Kong from Macao were arrested. A total of 88 400 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $450,000 and a duty potential of about $290,000, were seized from their personal baggage.
 
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 and travellers that under the DCO, anyone involved in importing, dealing with, possession of, selling or buying 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, 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

Police today (July 18) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Happy Valley. 

Chung Wing-kai, aged 77, went missing after he left his residence on Shiu Fai Terrace yesterday (July 17) afternoon. His family made a report to Police on the same day.

He is about 1.7 metres tall, 55 kilograms in weight and of thin build. He has a square face with yellow complexion and short grey hair. He was last seen wearing a light-coloured short-sleeved shirt, grey trousers, dark sneakers, a beige cap, a white mask, carrying two hiking poles and a black backpack.

Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Person Unit of Hong Kong Island on 2860 1040 or 9886 0034 or email to rmpu-hki@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Hong Kong Customs detected a dangerous drug case on July 16, and seized about 131 kilograms of suspected ketamine, with an estimated market value of about $51.4 million. Three persons suspected to be connected with the case were arrested.
 
Through intelligence exchange with Mainland anti-smuggling counterparts and risk assessment, Customs on July 14 inspected an air cargo consignment, declared as carrying rock sugar and arriving in Hong Kong from Germany, at Hong Kong International Airport. Upon inspection, Customs officers found about 131kg of suspected ketamine inside 17 plastic buckets and arrested a 58-year-old local male who came to collect the consignment. Upon follow-up investigations, Customs officers conducted a controlled delivery operation and further arrested two 24-year-old Bangladeshi males in Pat Heung, Yuen long, on July 16.
 
The arrested local male has been released on bail pending further investigation; while the two arrested Bangladeshi males have been jointly charged with one count of attempting to traffic in a dangerous drug. The case will be brought up at the Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Courts on July 20.
 
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

     The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, started his visit to Vientiane, Laos, today (July 20) and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Finance of Laos on fostering co-operation in gold market and financial services between the two places. 

     The MOU was signed by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Laos, Mr Santiphab Phomvihane, and Mr Hui on behalf of the Ministry of Finance of Laos and the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau. Aiming to strengthen bilateral co-operation in gold market and financial services industry development, the MOU outlines clear areas of collaboration, including promoting physical gold flows by facilitating access for qualified Lao gold owners to Hong Kong’s accredited refining network,  encouraging the wider use of refined gold bars meeting international standards for trading and delivery in Hong Kong, and fostering talent development and fintech collaboration including tokenisation solutions.