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Seven seafood stall owners were fined $680 to $3,000 between March and August after pleading guilty to supplying crabs of short weight.
According to the examination results of the Government Laboratory, the net weight of the crabs was less than the purported weight. The differences ranged from 8.38% to 62.8%.
Officers of Customs and Excise Department posing as customers purchased the crabs at various marketplaces in Wan Chai, Sha Tin, Kowloon City, Hung Hum and Wong Tai Sin on several occasions between December, 2006, and May, 2007.
After the transactions, the officers identified themselves and checked the purchased items with electronic balances. They suspected that the net weight of the crabs, which were tied with excessive weeds, was short of the purported weight.
In subsequent examination by Government Laboratory, discrepancies were found between the net weight and the purported weight of the crabs.
A spokesman for the Customs and Excise Department today (August 22) said that Customs officers would continue to take enforcement action against short weight activities to protect consumer interest and to uphold a fair trading environment.
Under the Weights and Measures Ordinance, any person who in the course of trade supplies goods to another person by weight or measure, should supply the goods in net weight or net measure. Any shortage of quantity purported to be supplied is an offence. The maximum penalty is a fine of $10,000.
Ends/Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Issued at HKT 18:59
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