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Hong Kong's Chief Secretary Celebrates New Year, Promotes Harmony and Prosperity During Festive Season

HK

Hong Kong's Chief Secretary Celebrates New Year, Promotes Harmony and Prosperity During Festive Season
HK

HK

Hong Kong's Chief Secretary Celebrates New Year, Promotes Harmony and Prosperity During Festive Season

2025-01-29 12:15 Last Updated At:12:28

CS celebrates Chinese New Year with community

The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (January 29), on the Chinese New Year's Day, wishes the country to thrive vigorously, for Hong Kong to have harmony and prosperity, and every success to the community. He paid a visit to the Lo Wu Control Point this morning to learn about the various arrangements and operations of relevant departments to cope with the increase in inbound and outbound passenger traffic during the Chinese New Year period. During the visit, he extended his New Year greetings to the staff on duty, and expressed his gratitude to them for performing their duties with dedication during the holidays. Along the way, he took the opportunity to extend his Chinese New Year greetings to the citizens and travellers he met.

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CS celebrates Chinese New Year with community  Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CS celebrates Chinese New Year with community Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CS celebrates Chinese New Year with community  Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CS celebrates Chinese New Year with community Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CS celebrates Chinese New Year with community  Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CS celebrates Chinese New Year with community Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CS celebrates Chinese New Year with community  Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CS celebrates Chinese New Year with community Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CS celebrates Chinese New Year with community  Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CS celebrates Chinese New Year with community Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CS celebrates Chinese New Year with community  Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CS celebrates Chinese New Year with community Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Accompanied by the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung; the Director of Immigration, Mr Benson Kwok; and the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Chan Tsz-tat, Mr Chan inspected the Lo Wu Control Point and met the frontline staff of the Immigration Department (ImmD), the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) and the Hong Kong Police Force on duty. He learned about the arrangements and operation conditions for customs clearance, diverting passenger movements, public order maintenance, etc at the control point during the Chinese New Year period.

Mr Chan was pleased to note that the relevant government departments have been in close co-ordination and liaison with stakeholders of transport, tourism and other sectors for making good preparation for receiving visitors during the Chinese New Year Golden Week of the Mainland, and ensuring the orderly operation of boundary control points. Relevant departments have minimised leave for frontline officers during the Chinese New Year period, to enable flexible deployment of manpower, and operation of additional counters and channels with a view to diverting passenger and vehicular flow. The Inter-departmental Joint Command Centre set up by the Police, the ImmD, the C&ED, and other relevant departments; and the Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre of the Transport Department will both operate 24 hours a dayduring the Golden Week, to closely monitor the situation of various control points and traffic conditions, and take prompt measures to ensure the smooth operation of various aspects in receiving visitors. Mr Chan expressed his heartfelt gratitude to colleagues of the Government and practitioners of various industries for their hard work during the Chinese New Year period.

Mr Chan also appealed to visitors arriving in Hong Kong during the Chinese New Year holidays to plan ahead for their itineraries. He encouraged them to stay overnight after participating in various local celebratory activities for the Chinese New Year and to make reference to the ultimate guide to Chinese New Year in Hong Kong launched by the Hong Kong Tourism Board to fully enjoy the rich and diverse celebratory activities to be held across various districts in the city and experience Hong Kong's unique city charm. At the same time, he instructed relevant departments to collaborate with various stakeholders, including public transport operators, to strengthen information dissemination including the situation at various boundary control points, details of celebration events and transport arrangements to enable residents and visitors to plan their itineraries according to the latest situation.

On January 27, Mr Chan participated in year-end caring visits in 18 districts co-ordinated by the Home Affairs Department. He visited elderly singleton and elderly doubleton grassroots families living in Po Lam Estate, Tseung Kwan O, and distributed blessing bags to them to express the Government's heartfelt wishes. He engaged in warm exchanges with the residents to let them feel the care and support of the community. He also attended the Yau Tsim Mong Presents - The Year of The Snake: Countdown Celebration at the Yau Ma Tei Community Centre Rest Garden yesterday (January 28) to share with the public the joys and blessings of the festive season and welcome the Year of the Snake.

CS celebrates Chinese New Year with community  Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CS celebrates Chinese New Year with community Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CS celebrates Chinese New Year with community  Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CS celebrates Chinese New Year with community Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CS celebrates Chinese New Year with community  Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CS celebrates Chinese New Year with community Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CS celebrates Chinese New Year with community  Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CS celebrates Chinese New Year with community Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CS celebrates Chinese New Year with community  Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CS celebrates Chinese New Year with community Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CS celebrates Chinese New Year with community  Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CS celebrates Chinese New Year with community Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs and Marine Police detected six large-scale maritime smuggling cases involving cigarettes and drugs during joint anti-smuggling operations

Hong Kong Customs and the Marine Police conducted joint operations from February 12 to 19 targeting large-scale maritime smuggling activities and six cases involving suspected illicit cigarettes and suspected dangerous drugs were detected. During the joint operations, a total of about 16.93 million sticks of suspected illicit cigarettes and 459 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds were seized.

Customs and police officers conducted anti-smuggling operations in Sai Kung and Lantau Island from February 13 to 16 and detected four suspected illicit cigarettes smuggling cases. A total of 4.1 million sticks of suspected illicit cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $19 million and a duty potential of about $13.5 million, found in four goods vehicles and the waters nearby. The four goods vehicles involved in the cases were also detained.

At small hours on February 18, Customs found a suspicious unattended fishing vessel in Shau Kei Wan Typhoon Shelter. Upon inspection, Customs officers seized 12.83 million suspected illicit cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $57 million and a duty potential of about $42 million, inside the compartments of the vessel.

Later on the same day, Customs intercepted a suspicious fishing vessel in the waters off Lamma Island, during which persons onboard the fishing vessel threw numerous nylon bags into the sea. Customs officers then took immediate action to board the vessel and retrieved the subject nylon bags from the water. Upon inspection, a total of about 459kg suspected cannabis buds, with an estimated market value of about $118 million, were found inside the nylon bags. Three local men, aged between 44 and 60, suspected to be connected with the case were arrested in the operation.

Investigations on the above mentioned six cases are ongoing.

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. Customs will continue co-operating and exchanging intelligence with the Police, Mainland and international law enforcement agencies, with targeted anti-smuggling operations carried out at suitable times to disrupt these activities.

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.

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

Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, anyone involved in dealing with, possession of, selling or buying illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years.

Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking or illicit cigarette activities to Customs' 24-hour report 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 and Marine Police detected six large-scale maritime smuggling cases involving cigarettes and drugs during joint anti-smuggling operations  Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs and Marine Police detected six large-scale maritime smuggling cases involving cigarettes and drugs during joint anti-smuggling operations Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

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