China News Service, Hong Kong, March 27 (Reporter Wei Huadu) Hong Kong Customs held a 2023 work review press conference on the 27th. Last year, Hong Kong Customs uncovered 1,362 drug cases, a year-on-year increase of 46%; and seized 9.5 tons of drugs, a year-on-year increase of 37%.
Commissioner of Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department Peter Ho said at a press conference that the increase in drug seizures is a global trend in recent years. Drug trafficking activities are becoming more and more international and group-oriented. Drug trafficking gangs are highly organized, with careful division of labor and more and more units and personnel involved. They adopt a "dual-track" model of drug trafficking, that is, hiring tourists to move in large-scale and Freight is parallel, drug trafficking from overseas to Hong Kong.
According to reports, there were 19,120 Hong Kong Customs enforcement cases last year, an increase of 1.7 times year-on-year. Among them, illicit cigarette cases accounted for 62%, drug cases accounted for 7%, and intellectual property cases accounted for 4%. The total value of items seized last year was HK$10.57 billion, a year-on-year increase of 48%; 15,589 people were arrested, a year-on-year increase of 2.5 times.
Since Hong Kong resumed "customs clearance", the number of entry-exit passengers and entry-exit vehicle movements at various ports has recorded 210 million and 10.3 million respectively, which has returned to about 65% before the epidemic. As of March 25 this year, more than 50,000 private cars have been registered for the "Hong Kong Cars Going North" plan.
As of last year, Hong Kong Customs has signed mutual recognition arrangements under the Hong Kong Authorized Economic Operator Program (AEO) with 14 economies, 8 of which are economies along the “Belt and Road”.
Ho Peishan said that Hong Kong Customs will serve as the Vice Chairman of the Asia-Pacific Region of the World Customs Organization from July this year. During the next two years, it plans to organize about 20 global or regional conferences, covering combating drugs, anti-money laundering, responding to e-commerce challenges, and promoting Gender equality issues. (over)