FEHD's Lunar New Year fairs concluded successfully
The 2025 Lunar New Year (LNY) fairs concluded successfully at 7am today (January 29). The fairs were held at 15 locations for seven days from January 23, attracting about 2.3 million visitors. Yesterday (January 28) was the peak, with more than 215 000 visitors in the LNY Fair at Victoria Park on a single day.
A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said that, thanks to the stall licensees' co-operation with the management measures, the fair sites have been kept clean, safe and orderly. The department is pleased to see members of the public actively support and enjoy the fairs which operation has been smooth in general with normal power supply.
This year, the FEHD has applied innovative technological measures to monitor the venues for implementation of crowd control as necessary. The footfall of individual LNY fairs was displayed on the FEHD website with a view to enabling the public to know about the crowd conditions at the fairs early. The FEHD has also offered assistance to stall licensees in various aspects such as security, illumination and refuse collection to ensure the smooth operation of the LNY fairs.
The department adopted various waste reduction and recycling measures. In addition to collecting general recyclables such as waste paper, plastics and metals at the fairs, the department also arranged for contractors to collect bamboo sticks, wooden pallets, polyfoam and wilted or unsold flowers, all of which have reusable value. From the opening of the LNY fair sites up to the site clearance operation today, about 107 tonnes of materials with reusable value were collected from the 15 LNY fair sites to enhance resource recycling. Furthermore, food waste recycling was practised in the LNY fairs with fast food stalls.
Moreover, the FEHD also gathered some 1 600 unsold pots of flowers and plants donated by licensees at the fairs. These were delivered to 242 elderly homes/residential care homes for persons with disabilities and five public hospitals by 21 volunteer teams comprising FEHD staff members.
With the LNY fairs concluded successfully, the department deployed about 250 staff members and 48 refuse collection vehicles and street washing vehicles to clean the Victoria Park venue. The other 14 LNY fair sites were cleaned up by the department's cleansing contractors. All site clearance work was completed at about 6pm. After thorough cleaning, the venues were restored to their original state.
Despite the conclusion of LNY fairs, the Che Kung Festival Fair and the Fong Ma Po New Year Fair at Lam Tsuen in Tai Po will be held until February 12. The spokesman reminded members of the public planning to visit the two fairs that they may browse information, including the opening hours of the fairs, on the FEHD's webpage in advance.
FEHD's Lunar New Year fairs concluded successfully Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FEHD's Lunar New Year fairs concluded successfully Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FEHD's Lunar New Year fairs concluded successfully Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FEHD's Lunar New Year fairs concluded successfully 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