Anti-terrorism campaign urges Hong Kong hardware store owners, chemical suppliers to report suspicious customers
- City launches counterterrorism initiative as law enforcement says they have dealt with 20 cases related to explosives or precursor chemicals since mid-2019
- Participants in scheme will attend several seminars hosted by counterterrorism unit to help raise their security awareness
A new anti-terrorism campaign is encouraging the owners of hardware stores and chemical suppliers in Hong Kong to report any suspicious customers, as law enforcement officers said they had handled 20 cases involving explosive materials since mid-2019.
Senior Superintendent Leung Wai-ki, of the city’s interdepartmental counterterrorism unit, which comprises members from six law enforcement agencies, said on Monday that despite the national security law in June 2020, the number of cases involving the use of explosives or precursor chemicals had remained steady.
“From mid-2019 until now, there have been 20 cases related to explosives or precursor chemicals. So we would like to enhance the education of the public and raise the awareness of the precursor chemical industry,” he said.
“Suspects mainly get the precursor chemicals from hardware shops and suppliers. That’s why we mainly put the focus on this industry in this campaign.”
Leung said the unit would initially roll out the campaign, named the “Safe Community Pledge”, in districts where more hardware stores were concentrated before expanding to other areas of the city.