A hotline set up by Hong Kong authorities for the public to report suspected terrorism-related activities has received more than 28,000 tip-offs since its launch two years ago, resulting in seizures of smuggled explosives and firearms.
According to the Inter-departmental Counter Terrorism Unit, 13 per cent of the reports made by more than 7,000 informants were passed to the relevant branches of law enforcement. The unit, which combines six disciplined services and was set up in 2018, did not provide numbers on related arrests or convictions.
Unit Senior Superintendent Peter Leung Wai-ki said the more than 28,000 tip-offs received also underscored the need for raising an early alarm over possible threats, especially given how the internet was shaping terrorism.
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“The reason we pay so much attention to the importance of reporting crimes is because we see the trend of terrorists being incited by radical speech and seditious material on the internet, as geopolitical tensions escalate,” he said.
Authorities set up the hotline in June 2022 to encourage people to come forward with information about suspected acts of radicalism, terrorism and other unlawful activities that could harm national security following the often violent protests that gripped the city in 2019.
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The body had been working with a range of sectors such as cross-border logistics, the chemical industry and even taxis to follow up on leads, while delivery platforms were also proving to be a valuable source of intelligence.
“Our future work will focus on education and promotion of counterterrorism across industries, such as the hotel and education sectors,” Leung said.
Superintendent Alice Ho Mei-ling, head of the counterterrorism group of the intelligence bureau under the Customs and Excise Department, said her agency had uncovered 27 cases of smuggled firearms since last September, with 19 arrests made based on the informants’ tips.
Ho said customs recorded another 60 illegal weapon smuggling cases, of which officers cracked 48 with the help of frontline workers.
Most of the firearms found in the city came from countries that had fewer restrictions on the weapons, such as the United States and Germany, she said, adding Hong Kong was merely a transit point in the smuggling chain.
“We receive tips from logistics industry workers who proactively provide information to us,” she said.
Her department had also stepped up education efforts aimed at frontline staff in the chemicals industry, stressing hardware shop owners, for example, should remain vigilant over bulk orders of raw materials, which could be used to make explosives.
One area the force looked into when the hotline launched was online content that spread terrorist ideology. Leung said some residents had made reports about social media posts, but investigators were unable to conclude whether the content could be deemed seditious simply through the use of certain words.
“We review the overall effect of the post and whether it really intended to incite people to carry out violence,” he said, adding the unit passed on relevant cases to the force’s National Security Department.
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The unit had also established the “Safe Community Hub”, an interactive experience zone with virtual reality games to educate visitors about how to handle hostile situations. The hall has received more than 3,000 visits since its launch in October last year.
Leung said the force hoped to adopt a more innovative way to educate the public about threats and he encouraged teachers to bring pupils for visits.
Residents can text the hotline at 6366 6999 via SMS or the instant messaging app WeChat. Leung noted that residents who provided useful tips would receive cash rewards of up to a five-digit amount.
Hong Kong last month passed its constitutionally mandated domestic national security law that complements a similar law imposed by Beijing in 2020.
More from South China Morning Post:
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