Hong Kong Customs yesterday (April 8) seized a total of 8 805 items of 14 models of suspected law-breaking shower gels, household cleaning detergents and clothing bleach from various premises of a chain retailing group. The product information marked on the packages of the products involved failed to bear Chinese and English bilingual warnings or cautions, suspected to be in contravention of the Consumer Goods Safety Regulation (CGSR), a subsidiary legislation of the Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance. The estimated market value of the products seized was about $400,000 in total. One person was arrested.
Customs earlier received information alleging the sale of suspected law-breaking household cleaning detergents at Tsuen Wan and Shatin shops of a chain retailing group. Customs officers immediately conducted an investigation and test-purchased 14 models of products concerned from six retailing shops in Admiralty, Quarry Bay, Mong Kok, Tsuen Wan and Shatin.
Upon investigation, Customs found that those products lacked warnings or cautions in Chinese language in respect of their safe keeping, use, consumption or disposal. Twelve models bore only warnings or cautions in Thai language, while two models bore warnings or cautions in Thai and English languages.
Customs officers yesterday conducted an operation and seized products connected with the case from 25 retail shops of the chain retailing group concerned in Admiralty, Quarry Bay, Mong Kok, Sham Shui Po, Wong Tai Sin, Diamond Hill, Kowloon City, Ngau Tau Kok, Tsing Yi, Tsuen Wan, Shatin, Ma On Shan, Tseung Kwan O, Tai Po, Fanling, Tuen Mun and Yuen Long as well as a storehouse in Tsuen Wan. The retailing price of the products ranged between $6 and $95.
A 33-year-old male director of the chain retailing group was arrested. He has been released on bail pending further investigation.
An investigation is ongoing and the likelihood of further arrests is not excluded.
An initial investigation revealed that the products concerned were imported by the chain retailing group from Thailand into Hong Kong. Customs will arrange further safety tests to ascertain whether the products concerned are in compliance with relevant safety standards.
Apart from the chain retailing group connected with the case, Customs also checked multiple retail spots in various districts and no such products have been found for sale so far.
Under the CGSR, where consumer goods or their packages are marked with warnings or cautions with respect to their safe keeping, use, consumption or disposal, such warnings or cautions shall be in both English and Chinese languages. Moreover, the warning or caution phrases must be legibly and conspicuously shown on the goods, any package of the goods, a label securely affixed to the package or a document enclosed in the package. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for one year on first conviction, and $500,000 and imprisonment for two years on subsequent convictions.
Members of the public with information relating to unsafe or law-breaking consumer goods may make a report via Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).
Ends/Friday, April 9, 2021
