Anti-terrorism campaign urges Hong Kong hardware store owners, chemical suppliers to report suspicious customers

A new anti-terrorism campaign is encouraging the owners of hardware stores and chemical suppliers in Hong Kong to report any suspicious customers, as law enforcement officers said they had handled 20 cases involving explosive materials since mid-2019.

Senior Superintendent Leung Wai-ki, of the city’s interdepartmental counterterrorism unit, which comprises members from six law enforcement agencies, said on Monday that despite the national security law in June 2020, the number of cases involving the use of explosives or precursor chemicals had remained steady.