Hong Kong Customs yesterday (October 23) found a restaurant in San Po Kong to be suspected of supplying short-weight seafood.
Customs officers yesterday conducted a test-buy operation at the restaurant and ordered an Alaskan crab. A staff member of the restaurant weighed a crab with a set of Chinese ching and declared that the weight of the crab was 84 taels.
Customs officers found that the crab was short of weight by about 18 taels after examination. The set of Chinese ching was also found to be inaccurate.
Investigation is ongoing.
Under the Weights and Measures Ordinance (WMO), any person who in the course of trade supplies goods to another person by weight or measure should supply the goods in net weight or net measure. Any shortage of the quantity purporting to be supplied is an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $10,000. In addition, any person who uses for trade, or has in his possession for use for trade, any weighing or measuring equipment which is false or defective commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $20,000.
Customs will continue to take stringent enforcement action against short-weight activities at restaurants to protect consumers' interests and uphold a fair trading environment.
Members of the public may report any suspected violations of the WMO to the Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).
Ends/Wednesday, October 24, 2018