Hong Kong is committed to curbing illegal movement of hazardous electronic waste (e-waste), said a spokesman for Hong Kong Environment Protection Department (EPD) Friday.

The EPD and the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) have been working closely to control and monitor hazardous e-waste shipments imported into or transshipped through Hong Kong, and the joint enforcement action has been stepped up since early 2004, said the spokesman.

Ever since the C&ED launched operation "Trigger" on March 1 to combat illegal import and transshipment of hazardous e-waste, it has examined 133 suspicious consignments.

Of them, 15 consignments were suspected of containing hazardous-waste, which was imported without a valid permit. The EPD is now investigating these cases, said the spokesman.

A summons was issued Friday to the importer of one of these shipments for importing 617 waste television sets containing cathode ray tubes to Hong Kong without a permit. The other cases are still under investigation.

"More summonses are expected to be served later this year upon the completion of investigations," the spokesman noted.

For those suspected illegal consignments, nine have been returned to the countries of origin through the Basel Convention liaison. The authorities under the convention for these countries have been notified beforehand to facilitate their investigation.

The spokesman pointed out that the import and export of hazardous e-waste, such as cathode ray tubes in waste computer monitors and TV sets, were subject to permit control under the Waste Disposal Ordinance (WDO).

Under the WDO, any person who imports or exports hazardous e-waste without a permit issued by the EPD is liable to a maximum fine of 200,000 HK dollars (US$25,641) and six-month imprisonment for the first offense, and 500,000 HK dollars (US$64,102) and two-year imprisonment for subsequent offense.

Since the introduction of the WDO control on import and export of waste in 1996, there have been 49 prosecutions against illegal movement of hazardous e-waste, resulting in 40 convictions, said the spokesman.

The concerned illegal shipments have all been returned to the countries of origin for proper disposal.

(Xinhua News Agency May 1, 2004)