Closer ties: HK Customs Commissioner Timothly Tong (left) and Korea Customs Commissioner Kim Yong-Duk  sign an agreement to establish an immediate notification system to expedite enforcement actions.

Hong Kong and Korea Customs will enhance mutual co-operation through the setting up of an immediate notification system and a dedicated contact point to deal with cyber crimes, Commissioner of Hong Kong Customs Timothy Tong says.

Mr Tong headed a delegation to attend the two-day 25th Customs Co-operation Conference with Korean counterparts led by Commissioner Kim Yong-Duk held in Hong Kong today.

He said the immediate notification system, set up to expedite enforcement action, is extremely important especially for investigation into dangerous drugs and money laundering cases that require prompt customs intervention.

Contact points will also be set up between the two Customs administrations to enhance co-operation in tackling cyber crime over the Internet on intellectual property rights.

"It is timely to strengthen our co-operation with Korea Customs," Mr Tong explained, adding Hong Kong Customs is actively stepping up co-operation with the movie industry and considering enforcement action against piracy activities using the peer-to-peer file-sharing software over the Internet.

He cited the detection of two containers of counterfeit cigarettes smuggled through Busan, Korea, and Hong Kong to Italy last year as an example of fruitful co-operation, adding it vividly demonstrated the powerful deterrent effects of cross-boundary co-operation between customs administrations.

In March last year, two containers carrying more than 8 million counterfeit cigarettes of a German brand were identified in Busan. The shipment was intended to be shipped to Italy via Hong Kong. Based on intelligence co-ordinated by Hong Kong Customs, it was successfully seized in Italy in the following month.

"Our success in working with Korea helped inspire 'Project Crocodile' - a region-wide campaign against cigarette smuggling - which we launched in Hong Kong in August this year," Mr Tong said.

Since then, based on intelligence provided by Korea and Hong Kong, another cross-boundary cigarette-smuggling case has been cracked, seizing more than  3.5 million cigarettes.

The conference offered a platform for the two Customs agencies to discuss further avenues to enhance co-operation on law enforcement. It also highlighted the importance of regional and international co-operation to combat transnational crimes like drug trafficking and cigarette smuggling, and protection of intellectual property rights.