Speed machines - Marine police unveil a new weapon in their fight against seaborne crime, a fleet of Australian-manufactured fast-pursuit craft. The eight launches, commissioned in a ceremony at Joss House Bay, Sai Kung, have on-board computerised global positioning systems and cost a total of $12.8 million.

They will be used mainly for anti-illegal immigrant duties but will also tackle smuggling and search and rescue operations. Their arrival comes amid police concerns that smuggling is on the rise.