ENG-2019 — Page 316

16

Public Order

assorted dangerous drugs2 and arrested 385 people. Cross-boundary enforcement cooperation led to the seizure of 2,125kg of assorted dangerous drugs and the arrest of 24 people in the Mainland and overseas.

As part of the government's efforts in combating youth drug abuse, the department works with NGOs to encourage young people to stay away from drugs and lead a healthy life.

Anti-smuggling Operations

Overall, smuggling in Hong Kong is under effective control. That said, smuggling across the Hong Kong-Mainland boundary remains under close monitoring by law enforcement agencies. During the year, 196 Hong Kong-Mainland smuggling attempts were detected, with 213 people arrested and $293 million worth of smuggled goods seized. Electrical and electronic goods, including mobile phones, computer sets and accessories; and meat were the main items smuggled into the Mainland. Cigarettes, which are cheaper in the Mainland, and counterfeit goods were often smuggled into Hong Kong.

The Customs and Excise Department collaborates with other law enforcement agencies to combat smuggling through intelligence exchange and parallel operations. It works closely with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department to detect and prevent the smuggling of food and animals.

Fire Services Department

The Fire Services Department fights fires and protects life and property in the event of fires and other calamities. The department also provides emergency ambulance services, and formulates and enforces fire safety policies and measures. It plans and builds fire stations and ambulance depots to cope with the territory's development and service needs, and to implement the government's policy of providing the fastest response possible to emergencies.

Its Fire and Ambulance Services Academy provides training services for the department, other public and private organisations as well as its Mainland and overseas counterparts.

The department has well-trained personnel, advanced communications systems and modern. equipment. It employs 10,345 uniformed and 787 civilian members, and operates 1,104 fire appliances, ambulances and supporting vehicles and 24 fire vessels.

Firefighting and Rescue

Of the 37,606 fire calls received in 2019, seven were classified as major fires: six triggered the No 3 alarm while one warranted the No 4 alarm. Accidents in the process of cooking constituted the major cause of fire, accounting for 1,377 cases. General electrical faults caused 791 fires, while the careless handling or disposal of lighted materials, such as cigarette ends, matches and candles, caused 630 fires. Unwanted alarms, triggered mainly by faulty automatic alarm systems, made up 68.7 per cent of the total number of fire calls.

2

Not including 116kg of khat, which contains substances subject to control under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance.

262