Hong Kong Customs and the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) stepped up enforcement from June 18 to 21 at various land boundary control points to crack down on inbound travellers illegally bringing regulated food into Hong Kong and to safeguard public health.
Customs and the CFS conducted joint law enforcement operations at the Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau Spur Line, Shenzhen Bay and Heung Yuen Wai Control Points for four consecutive days from June 18 to 21, and deployed quarantine detector dogs to assist law enforcement officers in carrying out their duties. A total of 15 cases involving inbound persons illegally bringing regulated food including raw meat, poultry and eggs into Hong Kong were found during the operation. Prosecutions against the persons suspected of contravening the Imported Game, Meat, Poultry and Eggs Regulations (Cap. 132AK) will be instituted by the CFS.
Customs and the CFS will continue to maintain close liaison and exchange of intelligence, and step up enforcement operations and publicity and education, at various boundary control points to combat illegal food import activities. As of yesterday (June 20), the CFS had instituted 774 prosecutions against inbound persons for illegally bringing game, meat, poultry and eggs (regulated food) into Hong Kong this year.
Pursuant to Cap. 132AK, each consignment of imported game, meat, poultry and eggs, whether for personal use or not, must be accompanied by a health certificate issued by the issuing entity of the place of origin or written permission from the FEHD. Regulated food entering Hong Kong from the Mainland must be accompanied by a health certificate issued by Mainland Customs to prove that the food is from registered processing plants for supplying to Hong Kong recognised by the Mainland regulatory authority.
Customs and the CFS remind members of the public not to defy the law by importing regulated food without a recognised health certificate, written permission from the FEHD or import licence for the sake of convenience. Offenders are liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and six months' imprisonment under Cap. 132AK.
Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
Ends/Friday, June 21, 2024
