Seven seafood stall owners fined for short weight (with photos)

22 Aug 2007

Seven seafood stall owners were fined $680 to $3,000 between March and August 2007 after pleading guilty to supplying crabs of short weight.

According to the examination results of the Government Laboratory, the net weight of the crabs was less than the purporting weight. The differences ranged from 8.38 per cent to 62.8 per cent.

It was heard in the courts that officers of Customs and Excise Department purchased the crabs in the guise of customers at various marketplaces in Wan Chai, Sha Tin, Kowloon City, Hung Hum and Wong Tai Sin on several occasions between December 2006 and May 2007.

After the transactions, the officers revealed their identities and checked the purchased items with electronic balances. They suspected that the net weight of the crabs, which were tied up with excessive weeds, was short of the purporting weight.

In subsequent examination by Government Laboratory, discrepancies were found between the net weight and the purporting weight of the crabs.

A spokesman for the Customs and Excise Department today (August 22) said that Customs officers would continue to take enforcement actions against short weight activities to protect consumer interest and to uphold a fair trading environment.

Under the Weights and Measures Ordinance, any person who in the course of trade supplies goods to another person by weight or measure, should supply the goods in net weight or net measure. Any shortage of quantity purporting to be supplied is an offence. The maximum penalty is a fine of $10,000.

Prosecutions made by Hong Kong Customs involving crabs short weight cases during January to July, 2007

  Date of offence District No. of crabs involved Price (HK$) Discrepancies between purported and actual weight Fines (HK$) Conviction Date
1 7.12.06 Kowloon City 3 57 9.63% 800 7.3.07
2 24.1.07 Wong Tai Sin 3 45 33.86% 3,000 14.6.07
3 29.1.07 Wan Chai 1 90 62.80% 680 29.5.07
4 29.1.07 Wan Chai 1 110 49.29% 2,000 11.7.07
5 30.1.07 Sha Tin 1 60 25.02% 1,500 30.5.07
6 10.5.07 Wong Tai Sin 1 70 12.92% 1,200 10.8.07
7 22.5.07 Hung Hom 3 33 8.38% 2,000 22.8.07

Ends/Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Photograph shows the three crabs seized by Customs officers in Wong Tai Sin on January 24. They were sold at $45 then. The difference between the net weight and the purporting weight was confirmed to be 33.86 per cent. The seafood stall owner was fined $3,000.Photograph shows the three crabs seized by Customs officers in Wong Tai Sin on January 24. They were sold at $45 then. The difference between the net weight and the purporting weight was confirmed to be 33.86 per cent. The seafood stall owner was fined $3,000.Photograph shows the three crabs seized by Customs officers in Wong Tai Sin on January 24. They were sold at $45 then. The difference between the net weight and the purporting weight was confirmed to be 33.86 per cent. The seafood stall owner was fined $3,000.
Photograph shows the crab seized by Customs officers in Wan Chai on January 29. It was sold at $90 then. The difference between the net weight and the purporting weight was 62.8 per cent. The seafood stall owner was fined $680.Photograph shows the crab seized by Customs officers in Wan Chai on January 29. It was sold at $90 then. The difference between the net weight and the purporting weight was 62.8 per cent. The seafood stall owner was fined $680.Photograph shows the crab seized by Customs officers in Wan Chai on January 29. It was sold at $90 then. The difference between the net weight and the purporting weight was 62.8 per cent. The seafood stall owner was fined $680.
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