Police hold Anti-Crime Elite Games (with photos)
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Speaking at the kick-off ceremony, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Chow Yat-ming, stated that given the complex and ever-changing crime landscape, collaborative efforts from all stakeholders, not just the Police, are required to effectively prevent and combat crime, as well as safeguard the growth of young people.
In the first eight months of this year, the number of youths arrested for criminal offenses has continued to improve, showing a 10 per cent decrease compared to the same period last year, totalling 1 742 individuals. Notably, arrests related to money laundering and deception have seen declines of 50 per cent and 32.4 per cent respectively. However, arrests related to serious drug offences and indecent assaults have increased by 45.2 per cent and 33.3 per cent.
Mr Chow stated that etomidate has become the most commonly abused drug among different age groups, followed by cannabis and cocaine. He emphasised that drug abuse remains drug abuse, regardless of the circumstances. It is not a trendy activity, and one should not mistakenly believe that trying it once is harmless. In addition to continuing to strengthen law enforcement, including targeting online drug trafficking, the Police will continue to nurture young anti-drug leaders through the Leadership Institute on Narcotics (L.I.O.N.), promoting a drug-free culture in communities, schools and families.
In regard to child protection, the Police are concerned about issues such as children being sexually extorted or defrauded online, and even being sexually assaulted. In the first eight months of this year, 57 cases of “online child sexual grooming” were recorded. Mr Chow appealed to schools and parents to collaborate in equipping young people with self-protection awareness and helping them understand the risks of the virtual world. The Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance will come into effect on January 20, 2026. The Police have been proactively launching publicity and educational initiatives to help professionals understand their roles and responsibilities, with a view to establishing an effective safety net to protect children from abuse and ensuring the timely handling of child abuse cases.
A total of 28 379 deception cases were recorded in the first eight months of this year, while the monetary loss decreased by 14.5 per cent year-on-year to $5.02 billion. Mr Chow stated that the Police, along with various stakeholders, have adopted a comprehensive strategy to combat and prevent deception cases, which gradually shows results. However, the number of cases remains high, with some involving significant financial losses. The Police constantly refine their strategies, including strengthening efforts to dismantle the fraud industry chain, enhance anti-scam publicity, and foster international co-operation. Additionally, the Police will launch an optimised version of the Scameter+, featuring automatic updates to the fraud database and real-time AI detection and reporting to expedite warnings to the public.
In the first eight months of this year, there were 270 phone scam cases involving post-secondary students, with losses over $100 million. In the new academic year, the Police have strengthened anti-scam publicity targeting post-secondary students, including co-ordinating with institutions to encourage new students to complete online learning modules and organising over 30 seminars and activities. The Police will continue to work closely with the banking industry and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority to promote anti-scam awareness and implement various anti-deception measures.
Mr Chow also reminded members of the public to heed the Police’s anti-money laundering warnings and always remember not to be greedy for bargains, as well as not to rent, lend or sell their personal bank accounts. The Police will collaborate with the Department of Justice to expedite prosecutions of money laundering cases and apply to the courts for enhanced penalties. In the first eight months of this year, 122 individuals convicted of money laundering have had their sentences increased by the courts, with sentence durations extended by over 30 per cent at maximum. In 2024, 44 convicted individuals had their sentences increased by the courts.
Mr Chow expressed sincere gratitude to community leaders from the Hong Kong Shine Tak Foundation and the L.I.O.N. for their support to the Anti-Crime Elite Games, as well as the participation of various public and private organisations and schools, that contributed to the building of a safer community and safeguarding the next generation of Hong Kong.
Other officiating guests at the kick-off ceremony included the Chairman of the Hong Kong Shine Tak Foundation, Mr Lam Kwok-hing; the Principal President of L.I.O.N., Mr Kerry Wong; the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Mr Yip Wan-lung; the Director of Crime and Security, Mr Chan Tung, etc.
In addition to game booths, the two-day event also features music performance, dancing, magic shows, Police Pipe Band parades and demonstrations by the Police Dog Unit. The participating units from the Crime Wing include the Narcotics Bureau, the Family Conflict and Sexual Violence Policy Unit, the Commercial Crime Bureau, the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau, as well as the Financial Intelligence and Investigation Bureau. For details, please visit the Anti-Crime Elite Games webpage (www.police.gov.hk/ppp_en/04_crime_matters/adcc/aceg2025.html).
Ends/Saturday, October 18, 2025
Issued at HKT 20:08
Issued at HKT 20:08
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