Hong Kong customs shifting away from dangerous seaborne interceptions of smugglers
- Department placing heavier focus on land-based operations following September death of officer at sea, new customs chief says
- Risky high-speed pursuits not even ‘the most effective method’ of dealing with recent upsurge in smuggling at sea
Hong Kong’s customs department is shifting the focus of its anti-smuggling efforts following the September death of a marine police officer, its new chief has said, placing greater emphasis on land-based raids and information sharing rather than dangerous seaborne interceptions.
Customs and Excise Department Commissioner Louise Ho Pui-shan on Saturday noted the risk involved for officers involved in high-speed pursuits at sea, a tactic she said was “not the most effective method” of handling the recent uptick in smuggling off Hong Kong’s shores.
Chief Inspector Lam Yuen-yee was killed after being thrown overboard along with three colleagues when their vessel was rammed by a turbocharged speedboat they were trying to intercept in mainland Chinese waters.
The other three officers were rescued immediately, but Lam’s body was found off Lantau Island two days later. A senior inspector at the time of her death, Lam was promoted posthumously.
Less than two years earlier, three customs officers were killed when their boat capsized in January 2020 in waters off Hong Kong International Airport.