Body cavity searches conducted by C&ED

Gigi Lo made this Freedom of Information request to Customs and Excise Department

This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.

The request was partially successful.

Dear Customs and Excise Department,

I am writing to make a data access request regarding body cavity searches conducted by C&ED. May I know, for each of the years between 2010 – 2020,

A) The number of body cavity searches conducted by C&ED, broken down by:

I) The location where the search was conducted (ex. the airport)

II) The type of body cavity search

III) Purpose of body cavity search

B) The number of complaints received by C&ED in relation to body cavity searches, broken down by:

I) outcome of claim (ex. Substantiated)

If a CSV or Excel format is possible, I would greatly appreciate it.

Yours faithfully,

Gigi Lo

Customs and Excise Department

本部門已收到你的電郵,並會作出適當跟進。如果你的電郵涉及情報、案件舉報,或
者你需要盡快與部門聯絡,請致電24小時海關舉報熱線 (852) 2545 6182或轉發你的
電郵至[email protected]。謝謝。

香港海關
(以上為電腦程式自動發出的訊息。)

This is to acknowledge receipt of your e-mail message. We will follow it
up as appropriate. If your e-mail message contains intelligence matters or
crime information or if you would like to contact the Department on an
urgent basis, please call our 24-hour Customs Information Hotline at (852)
2545 6182 or forward your email to [email address]. Thank you.

Customs & Excise Department
(The above message is generated by an auto-reply programme.)

In response to:




Freedom of Information request - Body cavity searches conducted by C&ED

[FOI #864 email]
to:
[Customs and Excise Department request email]
20.10.2021 12:43
Show Details

Dear Customs and Excise Department,

I am writing to make a data access request regarding body cavity searches
conducted by C&ED. May I know, for each of the years between 2010 – 2020,

A) The number of body cavity searches conducted by C&ED, broken down by:

I) The location where the search was conducted (ex. the airport)

II) The type of body cavity search

III) Purpose of body cavity search

B) The number of complaints received by C&ED in relation to body cavity
searches, broken down by:

I) outcome of claim (ex. Substantiated)

If a CSV or Excel format is possible, I would greatly appreciate it.

Yours faithfully,

Gigi Lo

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is a request under the Code of Access to Information facilitated via
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Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[FOI #864 email]

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-------------------------------------------------------------------

Customs and Excise Department

Dear Ms Lo,

Thank you for the application for access to information submitted on 20
October 2021.

In the course of Customs and Excise Department ("C&ED")'s investigations,
any body cavity searches, if deemed necessary, shall be performed by
medical officers.  C&ED do not maintain figures of such searches.  There
is one unsubstantiated complaint against C&ED in relation to body cavity
searches from 2010 to 2020.

Regards,
John CHAN
Access to Information Officer
Customs and Excise Department

From:        Gigi Lo <[FOI #864 email]>
To:        FOI requests at Customs and Excise Department
<[Customs and Excise Department request email]>
Date:        20/10/2021 12:43
Subject:        Freedom of Information request - Body cavity searches
conducted by C&ED

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Customs and Excise Department,

I am writing to make a data access request regarding body cavity searches
conducted by C&ED. May I know, for each of the years between 2010 – 2020,

A) The number of body cavity searches conducted by C&ED, broken down by:

I) The location where the search was conducted (ex. the airport)

II) The type of body cavity search

III) Purpose of body cavity search

B) The number of complaints received by C&ED in relation to body cavity
searches, broken down by:

I) outcome of claim (ex. Substantiated)

If a CSV or Excel format is possible, I would greatly appreciate it.

Yours faithfully,

Gigi Lo

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is a request under the Code of Access to Information facilitated via
the accessinfo.hk website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[FOI #864 email]

Is [Customs and Excise Department request email] the wrong address for Freedom of
Information requests to Customs and Excise Department? If so, please
contact us using this form:

[1]https://accessinfo.hk/en/change_request/...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[2]https://accessinfo.hk/en/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

show quoted sections

Dear Customs and Excise Department,

Thank you for your email. May I know,

A) In which year the one unsubstantiated complaint against C&ED in relation to body cavity searches was filed?

B) Further information regarding the one unsubstantiated complaint, including
I) where it was filed (ex. airport)
II) content of the complaint
III) profile of the complainant a) local / non-local b) gender c) age d) if non-local, country of origin

C) To clarify, there have been no other complaints filed against C&ED in relation to body cavity searches between 2010 - 2020?

Thank you for your help.

Yours faithfully,

Gigi Lo

Customs and Excise Department

本部門已收到你的電郵,並會作出適當跟進。如果你的電郵涉及情報、案件舉報,或
者你需要盡快與部門聯絡,請致電24小時海關舉報熱線 (852) 2545 6182或轉發你的
電郵至[email protected]。謝謝。

香港海關
(以上為電腦程式自動發出的訊息。)

This is to acknowledge receipt of your e-mail message. We will follow it
up as appropriate. If your e-mail message contains intelligence matters or
crime information or if you would like to contact the Department on an
urgent basis, please call our 24-hour Customs Information Hotline at (852)
2545 6182 or forward your email to [email address]. Thank you.

Customs & Excise Department
(The above message is generated by an auto-reply programme.)

In response to:




Re: (Reply from C&ED) Freedom of Information request - Body cavity
searches conducted by C&ED (App. No.: 69/2021)

[FOI #864 email]
to:
[Customs and Excise Department request email]
26.10.2021 11:48
Show Details

Dear Customs and Excise Department,

Thank you for your email. May I know,

A) In which year the one unsubstantiated complaint against C&ED in relation
to body cavity searches was filed?

B) Further information regarding the one unsubstantiated complaint,
including

I) where it was filed (ex. airport)

II) content of the complaint

III) profile of the complainant a) local / non-local b) gender c) age
d) if non-local, country of origin

C) To clarify, there have been no other complaints filed against C&ED in
relation to body cavity searches between 2010 - 2020?

Thank you for your help.

Yours faithfully,

Gigi Lo

show quoted sections

Customs and Excise Department

Dear Ms Lo,

I refer to your email dated 26 October 2021.

The complaint was filed by a 29-year old local female citizen to our
Complaints Investigation Group in 2013.  She alleged that a customs
officer checked her body cavities with unclean plastic gloves during
Customs clearance at China Ferry Terminal.  Investigation showed that no
body cavity search on the lady had been done; and the complaint was found
unsubstantiated.

Apart from the complaint aforesaid, there was no other relevant complaint
records in the Department between 2010 and 2020.

Regards,
John CHAN
Access to Information Officer
Customs and Excise Department

From:        Gigi Lo <[FOI #864 email]>
To:        FOI requests at Customs and Excise Department
<[Customs and Excise Department request email]>
Date:        26/10/2021 11:48
Subject:        Re: (Reply from C&ED) Freedom of Information request -
Body cavity searches conducted by C&ED (App. No.: 69/2021)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Customs and Excise Department,

Thank you for your email. May I know,

A) In which year the one unsubstantiated complaint against C&ED in
relation to body cavity searches was filed?

B) Further information regarding the one unsubstantiated complaint,
including

I) where it was filed (ex. airport)

II) content of the complaint

III) profile of the complainant a) local / non-local   b) gender   c) age
 d) if non-local, country of origin

C) To clarify, there have been no other complaints filed against C&ED in
relation to body cavity searches between 2010 - 2020?

Thank you for your help.

Yours faithfully,

Gigi Lo

show quoted sections