Hong Kong anti-terrorism hotline receives 28,000 tip-offs since launch, and authorities vow to work closely with more sectors
- Inter-departmental Counter Terrorism Unit says 13 per cent of reports received since hotline’s launch two years ago passed to relevant law enforcement agencies
- More collaboration with private sector planned, as tip-offs from logistics and delivery workers highly valued, unit says
A hotline set up by Hong Kong authorities for the public to report suspected terrorism-related activities has received more than 28,000 tip-offs since its launch two years ago, resulting in seizures of smuggled explosives and firearms.
According to the Inter-departmental Counter Terrorism Unit, 13 per cent of the reports made by more than 7,000 informants were passed to the relevant branches of law enforcement. The unit, which combines six disciplined services and was set up in 2018, did not provide numbers on related arrests or convictions.
Unit Senior Superintendent Peter Leung Wai-ki said the more than 28,000 tip-offs received also underscored the need for raising an early alarm over possible threats, especially given how the internet was shaping terrorism.
“The reason we pay so much attention to the importance of reporting crimes is because we see the trend of terrorists being incited by radical speech and seditious material on the internet, as geopolitical tensions escalate,” he said.
The body had been working with a range of sectors such as cross-border logistics, the chemical industry and even taxis to follow up on leads, while delivery platforms were also proving to be a valuable source of intelligence.