5 detained for HK milk powder fight
By Pan Zheng |
March 11, 2011, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
FIVE people, including three mainland residents, were detained in Hong Kong for a public fight when they scrambled to purchase milk powder at a pharmacy on Wednesday morning.
Hong Kong police said the fight involved two sides, one with two Hong Kong women and a mainland man, and the other comprising two mainland men. They quarreled when rushing to purchase milk powder and the two mainland men started the fight. One of them was hit by an iron tin and called the police.
All five were detained for brawling in a public place. Hong Kong police said they were still investigating whether they were milk powder smugglers or not.
On the same day, Customs officials in neighboring Shenzhen City in Guangdong Province announced that they had busted two gangs of milk powder smugglers, detaining three suspects who were caught loading the goods and seizing more than 2,900 tins of imported milk powder and other daily necessities.
The smugglers usually carry a very small volume of goods each time they pass the borders between Shenzhen and Hong Kong to avoid inspection. But they cross the border very frequently in a single day, which is the reason they are dubbed "ants."
Milk powder has become a most sought-after product in Hong Kong for mainland visitors in recent days. Domestic demand has been rising but a series of food safety scandals, including melamine-contaminated milk powder, have turned the public away from domestic dairy products. Besides, the prices of imported milk powder products in Hong Kong are usually lower than those on the mainland, which draws many mainland travelers and also smugglers.
Since local availability of milk powder in Hong Kong has been affected by the mainland rush of buyers, many Hong Kong stores have imposed sales restrictions on some popular brands, such as Mead Johnson and Abbott. According to Shenzhen Customs, these brands are also a favorite with smugglers.
A recent survey by a Hong Kong organization showed that nearly half of the island's residents have had trouble buying milk powder, and many suggested that suppliers should set up some regulation to ensure priority for locals.
Hong Kong police said the fight involved two sides, one with two Hong Kong women and a mainland man, and the other comprising two mainland men. They quarreled when rushing to purchase milk powder and the two mainland men started the fight. One of them was hit by an iron tin and called the police.
All five were detained for brawling in a public place. Hong Kong police said they were still investigating whether they were milk powder smugglers or not.
On the same day, Customs officials in neighboring Shenzhen City in Guangdong Province announced that they had busted two gangs of milk powder smugglers, detaining three suspects who were caught loading the goods and seizing more than 2,900 tins of imported milk powder and other daily necessities.
The smugglers usually carry a very small volume of goods each time they pass the borders between Shenzhen and Hong Kong to avoid inspection. But they cross the border very frequently in a single day, which is the reason they are dubbed "ants."
Milk powder has become a most sought-after product in Hong Kong for mainland visitors in recent days. Domestic demand has been rising but a series of food safety scandals, including melamine-contaminated milk powder, have turned the public away from domestic dairy products. Besides, the prices of imported milk powder products in Hong Kong are usually lower than those on the mainland, which draws many mainland travelers and also smugglers.
Since local availability of milk powder in Hong Kong has been affected by the mainland rush of buyers, many Hong Kong stores have imposed sales restrictions on some popular brands, such as Mead Johnson and Abbott. According to Shenzhen Customs, these brands are also a favorite with smugglers.
A recent survey by a Hong Kong organization showed that nearly half of the island's residents have had trouble buying milk powder, and many suggested that suppliers should set up some regulation to ensure priority for locals.
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