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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1979
CHECKING CONTAINERISED GOODS
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NO SMALL JOB
IT IS BY NO MEANS A SMALL JOB TO OPEN A FULLY PACKED CONTAINER AS LARGE AS A HOUSE, SCRUTINISE IT AND THEN RE-PACK IT TO THE SATISFACTION OF ITS OWNER.
AND THIS IS ALL IN A DAY'S WORK FOR A TEAM OF CUSTOMS OFFICERS BASED IN THE KWAI CHUNG CONTAINER TERMINAL WHO ARE CHARGED WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EXAMINING THE CONTAINERISED CARGO TO PROTECT HONG KONG'S REVENUE.
ADDING TO THE DIFFICULTY OF THEIR WORK IS THAT NOT ONLY THEY HAVE TO KEEP A SHARP LOOKOUT FOR ANY CONTRABANDS INCLUDING DRUGS THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN HIDDEN IN THE CONTAINERS, BUT ALSO DISCHARGE THEIR DUTIES WITH SPEED SO AS NOT TO IMPEDE THE FLOW OF GOODS.
+QUR OFFICERS HAVE TO CARRY OUT THE EXAMINATIONS IN THE CONTAINER FREIGHT STATIONS, IMPORTERS' PREMISES, WAREHOUSES, CARGO HANDLING BASINS, BY THE ROAD SIDE, OR AT ANY OTHER SPOT MUTUALLY ARRANGED BETWEEN THE SERVICE AND THE CONSIGNEES,+ SAID MR. WU KWAI-HUNG, THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF CUSTOMS AND EXCISE SERVICE IN CHARGE OF THE UNIT,
TO MAKE THE TASK EASIER, CUSTOMS OFFICERS ARE SOMETIMES ASSISTED BY SPECIALLY TRAINED DRUG DETECTION DOGS IN THEIR CARGO CHECKING WORK.
THE JOB IS A SWEET AND SOUR+ EXPERIENCE FOR THIS TEAM OF CUSTOMS OFFICERS WHO AT TIMES MAY BE LUCKY ENOUGH TO UNPACK CRATES OF AROMATIC HONEY-DEW MELONS OR MANGOES, ON OTHER OCCASIONS, THE EXPERIENCE MAY TURN SOUR WHEN THEY RIP OPEN A CASE OF ROTTEN EGGS OR SOUR PRICKLES.
+SOMETIMES, THE EXPERIENCE MAY EVEN BECOME TEARFUL AS YOU OPEN A CRATE OF GARLIC OR ONION AND FUMBLE THROUGH IT FOR ANY POSSIBLE CONTRABANDS,+ ONE OFFICER POINTED OUT.
YET, THEY HAVE ALL TAKEN IT IN STRIDE, AND A BIG ONE AT THAT. THERE HAS BEEN A FIVE-FOLD INCREASE IN THE VOLUME OF CONTAINERI SED IMPORTS FROM 936 000 TONNES IN 1973, WHEN THE CONTAINER TERMINAL BECAME OPERATIONAL, TO 5 080 000 TONNES LAST YEAR.
THE CONTAINERISED TRADE IS STILL GROWING AND LAST MONTH ALONE, MORE THAN 200 CONTAINER SHIPS CALLED AT OUR PORT, DISCHARGING 36 000 CONTAINERS OF CARGO.
APART FROM THEIR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY OF EXAMINING CARGO, CUSTOMS OFFICERS OF THE UNIT ALSO CONDUCT SEARCHES OF VESSELS BERTHED AT THE CONTAINER TERMINAL AND RE-INSPECT CONSIGNMENTS OF TEXTILE EXPORTS.
THEY ARE ALSO INVOLVED IN LICENSING CONTROL. PROCESSING OF CARNETS, AND CHECKING AND SEALING OF DUTIABLE SHIP STORES.
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