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Hong Kong Customs and Hong Kong Police Force seize drugs worth over 479 million in joint anti-narcotics operation (with photos)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Hong Kong Customs and the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) conducted a large-scale anti-narcotics operation codenamed “Boldhit” from June 1 to August 31 this year to combat drug trafficking activities exploiting air passengers as drug couriers by drug syndicates. During the operation, Customs, the HKPF, Mainland and overseas law enforcement agencies detected a total of 74 drug cases, seizing around 1 219 kilograms of suspected drugs including cannabis, ketamine, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and MDMA, with an estimated market value of over $479 million. Ninety-six persons suspected to be connected with the cases were arrested.
 
During the operation, Hong Kong Customs and the HKPF collaborated with 12 Mainland and overseas law enforcement agencies to facilitate close and real-time exchange of intelligence, conducting joint assessments to effectively track and intercept air passengers involved in drug trafficking. The Anti-Smuggling Bureau of Mainland Customs, the Narcotics Control Department of the Shenzhen Municipal Public Security Bureau, the Shenzhen General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection, German Customs, Canada Border Services Agency and the Central Narcotics Bureau of Singapore also successfully detected drug trafficking cases in their respective regions.
 
Customs and the HKPF have long striven to intercept the inflow of drugs to Hong Kong by adopting a risk management and an intelligence-led approach according to the trends of drug markets and smuggling channels. Both sides will continue to make necessary adjustments in strategy and deployment in accordance with changes in the drug trafficking trends and enhance co-operation with overseas enforcement agencies to fight against transnational narcotics trafficking activities.
 
Customs and the HKPF remind 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.
 
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), or to the HKPF’s drug reporting hotline 2527 1234 or “e-Report Centre” of the HKPF’s mobile application.

              

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By-election polling cards sent

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Registration & Electoral Office (REO) has mailed polling cards to about 3,600 voters or authorised representatives (ARs) ahead of the 2025 Election Committee Subsector By-elections, due to be contested across six sub-sectors on Sunday.

The mail sent to the voters/ARs also includes a map showing the location of the designated polling station, a guide on voting procedures, an introduction to the candidates and an Independent Commission Against Corruption elections leaflet.

A total of 28 candidates will contest 21 seats in the six subsectors, which are as follows: commercial (third); architectural, surveying, planning and landscape; technology and innovation; labour; representatives of members of the Area Committees, District Fight Crime Committees, and District Fire Safety Committees of Hong Kong and Kowloon; and representatives of members of the Area Committees, District Fight Crime Committees, and District Fire Safety Committees of the New Territories.

In addition, 72 candidates in 22 subsectors have been returned uncontested.

Voters/ARs may use iAM Smart or the voter registration website to log into the Online Voter Information Enquiry System and access all of the information included in the mail.

The REO reminded the voters and ARs that they should cast their votes at the polling station assigned to them, and that they must carry their Hong Kong identity card or specified alternative documents to collect their ballot papers.

Call 2891 1001 for enquiries.

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Property sales fall 10.4%

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Land Registry logged 6,462 sale and purchase agreements for all building units received for registration in August, down 10.4% compared with July and up 36.6% year-on-year.

 

The total consideration for such agreements in August dropped 12.5% from the previous month to $47.8 billion, representing a 39.2% year-on-year growth.

 

Of the agreements, 5,291 were for residential units, amounting to an 8.2% decrease from July and a 44.8% rise from a year ago.

 

The total consideration for residential units was $42.2 billion, down 8.9% compared with July and 48.2% higher year-on-year.

 

There were 388,762 land register searches last month.

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FEHD releases 11th batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in August

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

FEHD releases 11th batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in August

District

District Among the 11th batch of First Phase Gravidtrap Indexes covering two survey areas and Area Gravidtrap Indexes covering nine survey areas in August, all were below 10 per cent.

The FEHD has so far released 11 batches of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in August 2025, covering 64 survey areas. Among these 64 survey areas, 44 recorded a decrease or remained unchanged in the individual gravidtrap index as compared to the Area Gravidtrap Index last month, i.e. July 2025, representing that the areas’ mosquito infestation improved or maintained a low level. Fifteen other areas recorded a slight increase, but the indexes were lower than 10 per cent.Starting in August this year, following the completion of the surveillance of individual survey areas, and once the latest gravidtrap index and the density index are available, the FEHD will disseminate the relevant information through press releases, its website, and social media. It aims to allow members of the public to quickly grasp the mosquito infestation situation and strengthen mosquito control efforts, thereby reducing the risk of chikungunya fever (CF) transmission.

???Following the recommendations from the World Health Organization and taking into account the local situation in Hong Kong, the FEHD sets up gravidtraps in districts where mosquito-borne diseases have been recorded in the past, as well as in densely populated places such as housing estates, hospitals and schools to monitor the breeding and distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which can transmit CF and dengue fever. At present, the FEHD has set up gravidtraps in 64 survey areas of the community. During the two weeks of surveillance, the FEHD will collect the gravidtraps once a week. After the first week of surveillance, the FEHD will immediately examine the glue boards inside the retrieved gravidtraps for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes, to compile the Gravidtrap Index (First Phase) and Density Index (First Phase). At the end of the second week of surveillance, the FEHD will instantly check the glue boards for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes. Data of the two weeks’ surveillance will be combined to obtain the Area Gravidtrap Index and the Area Density Index. The gravidtrap and density indexes for Aedes albopictus in different survey areas as well as information on mosquito prevention and control measures are available on the department’s webpage (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pestcontrol/dengue_fever/Dengue_Fever_Gravidtrap_Index_Update.html#Issued at HKT 17:00

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Badminton tournament gets ‘M’ Mark

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Major Sports Events Committee announced today that it awarded “M” Mark status to the LI-NING Hong Kong Open Badminton Championships 2025 part of the HSBC BWF World Tour Super 500, scheduled to be held from September 9 to 14 at the Hong Kong Coliseum.

 

Major Sports Events Committee Chairman Wilfred Ng said: “This world-class event, gathering Olympic medallists and badminton elites from around the globe, will attract many local, overseas and Mainland badminton enthusiasts, thereby promoting tourism and boosting the economy.”

 

He added that he believes the Hong Kong, China team will give its best on home ground and strive for excellent results.

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Land Registry releases statistics for August

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Land Registry releases statistics for August——————-
*   The number of sale and purchase agreements for all building units received for registration in August was 6 462 (-10.4 per cent compared with July 2025 but +36.6 per cent compared with August 2024)————-
*   The number of searches of land registers made by the public in August was 388 762 (-8.3 per cent compared with July 2025 and -1.9 per cent compared with August 2024)Issued at HKT 15:00

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An August with outbreaks of heavy rain

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

An August with outbreaks of heavy rain 
Under the influence of a southwesterly airstream, the weather of Hong Kong was very hot with sunny periods on the first day of the month. There were also heavy showers and thunderstorms in some areas in the afternoon with more than 70 millimetres of rainfall recorded over the North District. An active southwest monsoon and upper-air disturbances brought heavy showers and squally thunderstorms to the coast of Guangdong from August 2 to 5. The outbreaks of heavy showers necessitated the issuance of Black Rainstorm Warnings three times in just four days. The Hong Kong Observatory Headquarters registered a record-breaking daily rainfall of 368.9 millimetres on August 5, the highest daily rainfall in August since records began in 1884. This daily rainfall amount was already more than 80 per cent of the August normal rainfall. The accumulated rainfall recorded at the Observatory during these four days was nearly 600 millimetres, with rainfall even exceeding 800 millimetres over Tseung Kwan O and Tsz Wan Shan. In the midst of the incessant downpour, the temperature at the Observatory dropped to the month’s lowest of 24.0 degrees on the morning of August 5.
 
While showery conditions persisted on August 6, with the establishment of an anticyclone aloft, apart from a few showers, it was generally fine with prolonged heat from August 7 to 12. The maximum temperature at the Observatory rose to 34.4 degrees on the afternoon of August 10, the highest of the month. Meanwhile, Typhoon Podul over the western North Pacific moved west-northwestwards towards Taiwan on August 12. It further intensified into a severe typhoon before making landfall over the southeastern part of Taiwan the next day. Under the influence of its outer subsiding air, the weather in Hong Kong was mainly fine apart from isolated showers on August 13. It was also extremely hot in the afternoon. Podul rapidly weakened into a tropical depression as it moved into inland Guangdong on August 14. Under the influence of its outer band of intense thundery showers, it was overcast with heavy showers and severe squally thunderstorms in Hong Kong. More than 100 millimetres of rainfall were recorded over many places, and rainfall even exceeded 200 millimetres over Lantau Island, Tuen Mun and parts of Hong Kong Island. The incessant downpour necessitated the issuance of the Black Rainstorm Warning for the fifth time this year, breaking the previous record of three times set in 2000 and 2006 since the commencement of the rainstorm system operation in 1992. While there were still a few showers on August 15, with the dissipation of Podul and the establishment of a ridge of high pressure over southeastern China, local weather turned mainly fine on August 16.
 
Meanwhile, the broad area of low pressure over the central part of the South China Sea intensified into a tropical depression on August 16. It moved west-northwestwards towards the seas south of Hainan Island on August 17 and skirted across Beibu Wan the next day. Under the combined effect of the tropical depression and the ridge of high pressure over southeastern China, it was windy with squally showers and thunderstorms on August 17. The heavy showery weather continued on August 18 with more than 100 millimetres of rainfall recorded over many places in Hong Kong.
 
The weather remained unsettled on August 19 under the influence of an active southerly airstream. More than 30 millimetres of rainfall were recorded over most parts of the territory, and rainfall even exceeded 100 millimetres over parts of Kowloon and the New Territories. With the strengthening of an anticyclone aloft, local weather was generally fine and very hot from August 20 to 22.
 
The area of low pressure over the seas west of Luzon intensified into a tropical depression on the night of August 22 and was later named Kajiki. Kajiki moved westwards across the central part of the South China Sea and intensified progressively into a severe tropical storm the next day. It rapidly intensified into a severe typhoon over the seas south of Hainan Island on August 24 and made landfall over the northern part of Vietnam the next night. Locally, it was mainly fine on August 23 apart from a few showers and squally thunderstorms at night. There were sunny periods during the following two days. Under the influence of a ridge of high pressure over southeastern China, apart from isolated showers and thunderstorms over the western part of the New Territories in the afternoon, local weather was mainly fine and very hot on August 26 and 27. Affected by upper-air disturbances, it was mainly cloudy with a few showers and squally thunderstorms locally on August 28. Moreover, Nongfa formed as a tropical depression over the central part of the South China Sea that afternoon and moved northwestwards towards the seas south of Hainan Island. The Standby Signal, No. 1 was issued that night, for the eighth time this year, breaking the highest record between January and August since 1946. Nongfa intensified into a tropical storm and tracked across the seas south of Hainan Island on August 30. It made landfall over central and northern Vietnam that afternoon and then weakened into a tropical depression at night. Locally, it was very hot with sunny periods on August 29. It was also windy under the combined effect of a ridge of high pressure over southeastern China and Nongfa. An easterly airstream affected the coast of Guangdong on August 30 and the weather of Hong Kong was mainly cloudy with a few showers. The weather turned generally fine and very hot on the last day of the month.
 
Eleven tropical cyclones occurred over the South China Sea and the western North Pacific in August 2025.
 
Details of issuance and cancellation of various warnings/signals in the month are summarised in Table 1. Monthly meteorological figures and departures from normal for August are tabulated in Table 2.
Issued at HKT 15:00

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