Six vegetable suppliers have been fined $600 to $3,000 at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts for shortweighting, the Customs & Excise Department says.

The court heard yesterday that Customs & Excise Department officers test-purchased cabbage, taro, cucumber and Chinese kale, with the market value ranging from $44 to $110 per basket, at Cheung Sha Wan Vegetable Wholesale Market on September 15 last year.

After the transactions, the officers revealed their identities and checked the weight of the goods using electronic scales. They found the actual weight of the vegetables supplied by six vegetable stalls was less than their purported weight. Results of the Government Laboratory examination confirmed that the weight of the vegetables was 3.6% - 16% less than that purporting to be supplied.

Last year saw 27 prosecution cases relating to shortweighting and defective weighing equipment involving fines totalling $72,700. This compares with 10 cases recorded in the first two months of this year, involving fines totalling $16,200.

Customs will step up enforcement to crack down on such malpractice in the trade, including retail and distribution levels, to protect consumers' interests and ensure fair trade.