The Assistant Commissioner of Customs and Excise (Boundary and Ports), Mr Leung koon-wah, said today (August 15) that the Department had stepped up front-line enforcement at all control points to guard against pork smuggling activities.
In 2004, Customs officers seized 28,700 kilograms of smuggled pork. The quantity showed a continuous decline, from 14,390 kilograms in the first seven months of 2005 to about 120 kilograms in the first half of August.
Mr Leung attributed the drop in seizure to the unwavering commitment of the Department in the crackdown on the smuggling of pork into Hong Kong.
"Hong Kong Customs has stepped up its enforcement in the realms of intelligence exchange, surveillance and cooperation with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) and Mainland Customs following the recent Streptococcus suis outbreak in the Mainland," Mr Leung said.
To achieve better monitoring on the illicit market, the Department has strengthened liaison with the industry. Most up-to-date market information on imported meat is being obtained so that effective enforcement strategies can be formulated.
Despite that no large-scale pork smuggling activities had emerged lately, Mr Leung called upon the industry players to lend full support to Hong Kong Customs by reporting such crimes whenever they came across suspicious activities.
On stepped up enforcement, Hong Kong Customs has alerted all officers to tighten their watch at all control points. Aside from travellers arriving in Hong Kong, Customs officers will increase checks on incoming containers and cross-boundary private cars to deter the import of illicit pork. Once they detect any suspected illicit pork, they will inform FEHD staff to follow up.
When circumstance warrants, Customs officers will mount joint operations with FEHD staff. They will also conduct parallel operations with the Mainland Customs counterparts.
Meanwhile, Customs officers will continue to keep close watch at Hong Kong waters, public cargo working areas and black spots for smuggling activities.
Mr Leung reiterated that intelligence-led operations would be conducted from time to time, noting such actions would generate a powerful deterrent to potential offenders.
He warned that equipment such as X-ray vehicle scanning system is in place to help frontline officers detect contrabands.
Any person found guilty of importing unmanifested cargo under the Import and Export Ordinance is liable on conviction on indictment to a fine of $2 million and seven years' imprisonment.
Under the Imported Game, Meat and Poultry Regulations of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance, it is an offence to bring into Hong Kong any meat and poultry without an official certificate. The maximum penalty is a fine of $50,000 and six months' imprisonment.
To report pork smuggling activities, members of the public are urged to call the Customs 24-hour hotline 2545 6182.
Ends/Monday, August 15, 2005