First conviction for illegal transhipment of goods containing asbestos materials by shipping company
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A spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said that a notification was received from the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department in September last year of an interception of goods suspected of containing asbestos materials at the Asia Airfreight Terminal at Hong Kong International Airport. After investigation, EPD staff confirmed that the goods, with nine rolls of rope lagging containing asbestos weighing about 45 kilograms, were being transhipped by an international shipping company, TNT Express Worldwide (HK) Limited, through Hong Kong to Sierra Leone from Malaysia. The EPD prosecuted the company, which was responsible for transhipping the goods, under the APCO after gathering evidence.
The EPD spokesman reminded international shipping companies that the government has completely banned the import, transhipment, supply and use of all forms of asbestos so as to protect public health since the implementation of the Air Pollution Control (Amendment) Ordinance 2014 in April 2014. Anyone that imports or tranships asbestos or asbestos-containing materials without an exemption commits an offence and will be liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and six months' imprisonment.
Ends/Monday, April 1, 2019
Issued at HKT 14:31
Issued at HKT 14:31
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