Govt steps up efforts to combat illegal fuelling

Security minister Chris Tang on Wednesday said officials are studying what kind of penalties could be imposed on those who purchase illegal fuel, as part of efforts to combat relevant illicit activities. In a written reply to a question from DAB lawmaker Jody Kwok, the minister said that risks posed by illicit fuelling activities to public safety are "increasingly serious". Tang said the government is looking to comprehensively strengthen the regulatory regime by reviewing the city's fire safety laws. "The review includes exploring the possibility of increasing penalties for related offences, enhancing the enforcement powers of the Fire Services Department in areas such as arresting individuals and seizing vehicles involved in such activities," he said. Tang said firefighters have stepped up their investigation and enforcement efforts. He noted in the first two months of the year, law enforcement agencies seized more than 200,000 litres of illicit fuel and prosecuted 76 people, 14 of whom were convicted. Those guilty were handed a fine of up to HK$15,000 and given up to six months in jail. He said firefighters had received more than 130 intelligence reports over the past six months through a hotline, set up for the public, to report suspected illicit fuelling activities. Tang said it has helped officers identify 18 new black spots. The minister went on to say that customs officers have been closely monitoring the smuggling of illicit fuel at different border crossings, while maintaining intelligence exchanges with their mainland counterparts. He said customs officers have been using advanced inspection equipment such as mobile X-ray vehicle scanning systems and smart robots to check if there's anything under or hidden inside vehicles. Edited by Tony Sabine