A Hong Kong taxi driver has been arrested after a fatal traffic incident in Ngau Tau Kok that killed a woman and seriously injured four people.

A taxi driven by a 70-year-old man went out of control while he was driving downhill along Chun Wah Road and mounted the pavement and a sitting-out area on Choi Ha Road, knocking down two female pedestrians at 1.50pm on Wednesday, according to police.

One of the pedestrians, a 38-year-old woman, suffered serious leg injuries and was rushed to United Christian Hospital in an unconscious state and was later certified dead at 2.26pm on Wednesday.

The other female pedestrian, 31, also suffered leg injuries and was sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in an unconscious state.

The two passengers in the taxi were sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital with injuries. The 62-year-old male passenger sustained chest and leg injuries, while the 62-year-old female passenger suffered chest, back and neck injuries.

According to the government, as of 10.30am on Thursday, the second female pedestrian was in critical condition, and both passengers were in serious condition.

The taxi driver, who sustained chest injuries, was sent to United Christian Hospital in a conscious state.

He was arrested for dangerous driving causing death and is being detained, the police said. He was in stable condition as of 10.30am on Thursday.

The police are investigating the traffic accident and are urging witnesses to call 3661 0277.

Hong Kong is mulling tighter health checks for elderly taxi drivers, but progress has been slow.

Currently, all drivers – including taxi drivers – aged over 70 must provide the Transport Department with a medical examination certificate completed by a registered medical practitioner at least once every three years.

See also: Hong Kong taxi union hits back at lawmakers’ suggestions of mandatory retirement age for cabbies

The government proposed in 2023 that taxi drivers aged over 65 should conduct mandatory health checks every year.

The government is working on law amendments related to mandatory health checks for taxi drivers and plans to table the bill later this year, Sing Tao Daily reported on Wednesday.

10 people have sustained minor injuries after a truck collided with a double-decker KMB bus on a downhill stretch in Kwun Tong.

Police said they received a report of the crash on Po Lam Road, Sau Mau Ping, at about 6.20am on Tuesday. The collision involved a light goods vehicle and a Route 600 KMB bus, which travels between Kwun Tong and Central.

The truck overturned following the crash, while the KMB bus struck a traffic light pole before coming to a halt, police said.

Eight bus passengers and both drivers were reportedly mildly injured and were sent to United Christian Hospital for treatment.

Dashcam footage circulating online appeared to show the truck violating traffic signals by making a right turn towards Po Tat Shopping Centre on Po Lam Road, as the KMB bus was travelling downhill.

Images from the scene showed the truck lying on its side, while the windscreen of the KMB bus was shattered. Traffic in the area was disrupted following the incident, according to RTHK.

In an emailed reply to HKFP’s enquiry, KMB said on Wednesday that an investigation showed its bus was crossing the intersection on a green light, while the truck ran a red light by turning right from the opposite lane.

The bus operator said it would cooperate with the police.

Meta has removed a series of scam ads impersonating the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) following HKFP’s enquiries.

The ads, targeting Hongkongers, appeared for weeks on Facebook. They urged users to get in touch with the global policing body if they wished to retrieve funds previously lost to scams – however, the ads were fraudulent.

The posts were published by a since-removed fake news outlet page called “Hong Kong Daily,” which falsely claimed to share an office address with HKFP.

INTERPOL told HKFP that such ads should be reported to the local police. “To confirm that INTERPOL never contacts members of the public directly, never demands money from people and never asks for bank details or any money transfer,” it said on Thursday. “Any such request or advert is fake. Members of the public should not engage and report any such emails or adverts to the local police.”

In response to HKFP on Friday, a spokesperson for the Hong Kong Police Force said they have been “actively engaging relevant authorities to verify and remove suspicious or fraudulent websites. In the process of removing such websites, cooperation with concerned parties, including various service providers, is essential. The Hong Kong Police Force is committed to safeguarding the interests of the public by working with these service providers to suppress fraudulent messages.”

The police force is part of the INTERPOL Member State of China.

Meta’s US$3.5 bn profits from scams – report

Last year, Meta banned over 3.7 million items of ad content in Hong Kong and 134 million instances globally. Also in 2025, the tech giant took down 10.9 million accounts associated with scam centres. The company owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

A spokesperson for Meta told HKFP on Friday that ads which impersonate organisations or seek to defraud people go against its policies.

“The flagged Facebook Page and associated ads have been removed for violating our policies,” the spokesperson said. “Fighting scams on our platforms is one of our top priorities and as scammers have grown in sophistication in recent years, so have our efforts. We use AI-powered detection technology to identify and remove scam ads at scale, and we also encourage anyone who encounters suspicious ads to report them through our in-app tools.”

Nevertheless, according to a report by Reuters news agency, Meta earns US$3.5 billion (HK$27.4 billion) from just a portion of scam ads every six months.

Citing internal Meta documents, Reuters said that the social media company projected that 10 per cent of its 2024 revenue would come from ads for scams and banned goods, amounting to US$16 billion (HK$124.8 billion).

Other fraudulent ads, appearing to target scam victims, remained online as of Monday, according to HKFP’s checks.

One ad targeting Hongkongers, published by a page called “Law Help,” urged those “affected by online fraud or an unregulated broker” to submit their details.

Scammers have been posing as law enforcement officers to defraud victims.

In March, Nikkei Asia reported that mock police stations and banks had been set up at scam centres, used to fool victims interacting via video call.

KLN Logistics has told HKFP that a vehicle bearing the firm’s logo, which was spotted filling up at an alleged illegal fuelling site in Kwai Chung last week, was operated by a subcontractor.

An HKFP reader spotted the driver of the truck refuelling on Kwai Wo Street at around 10.30am on Thursday and shared photos of the incident.

In response to HKFP’s enquiry, a spokesperson for KLN Logistics – previously known as Kerry Logistics – said on Friday that “it was confirmed upon our investigation that the truck shown in the photo was operated by a subcontractor.”

The spokesperson added, “As we understand, the concerned subcontractor has already filed reports with relevant law enforcement authorities about the incident. If required, KLN will fully cooperate with the authorities’ investigation but in the meantime, we are not in a position to disclose any further details.”

The incident in Kwai Chung occurred weeks after authorities launched a crackdown on illicit fuel amid soaring petrol prices due to the war in the Middle East.

According to a Customs and Excise Department press release on Wednesday, law enforcement mounted a territory-wide joint operation codenamed “Knockout” targeting illicit fuel activities from April 13 to 30.

“Officers of Customs, the FSD [Fire Services Department] and the Police detected 19 related cases, and seized more than 21,000 litres of illicit fuel, 15 vehicles and one speedboat with an estimated market value of about $3.3 million. A total of 27 persons were arrested,” it said.

The operation shut down “five illicit mobile motor spirit fuelling stations in Lok Fu, Kowloon Bay, Wong Tai Sin, Kai Tak and Tsing Yi,” it added.

On Thursday, HK01 reported on several illegal refuelling sites in Kwai Chung, with a number of prosecutions taking place.

HKFP has reached out to customs and police for comment.

Soaring fuel costs

The standard price of unleaded petrol as of Monday is HK$32.54 per litre, according to the Consumer Council.

See also: Hong Kong sees ‘sharp rise’ in illegal fuel trading amid surging oil prices

Hong Kong has the highest petrol prices in the world, according to globalpetrolprices.com statistics dated March 30, giving rise to unlawful makeshift filling stations.

Last month, Hong Kong rolled out subsidies for diesel-powered public and commercial vehicles, as fuel costs soared worldwide over the US and Israel’s war on Iran and the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane.

Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109), offences connected to the dealing with, possession of, selling or buying of illicit motor spirit attract a maximum penalty of HK$1 million and imprisonment for two years.

It is also an offence under the Fire Services (Fire Hazard Abatement) Regulation (Cap. 95F) to possess or control any controlled substance for the business purpose of transferring it into vehicle fuel tanks. Repeat offenders face a fine of up to HK$200,000 and imprisonment for one year.

Smugglers, meanwhile, face a maximum fine of HK$2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

A former police officer who led daily press briefings during the 2019 protests and unrest has been appointed to a top post leading the Hong Kong government’s media relations department.

Authorities announced on Monday that John Tse would begin the role as head of the Information Services Department (ISD) on Tuesday.

Tse was previously appointed in June 2024 as an information coordinator at the Chief Executive’s Office, where he formulates public relations and media strategies.

Prior to that, he was a communications secretary at the office, whose responsibilities included managing Chief Executive John Lee’s social media, and the principal assistant secretary in the Security Bureau.

Tse is best known as the former chief superintendent of the police force’s public relations branch.

He led daily press conferences during the anti-extradition protests in 2019, when police would announce arrest figures and deployments.

In 2020, Tse was awarded the chief executive’s “commendation for government/public service” for his “outstanding contribution in relation to the handling of social incidents.”

‘Most suitable candidate’

Tse’s appointment as director of the Information Services Department comes after the government launched open recruitment for the position, as well as for the head of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.

The recruitment broke the authorities’ long-standing tradition of appointing administrative officers to top roles. The requirements for the jobs included “political acumen.”

According to the government statement on Monday, Tse was identified as “the most suitable candidate” following a selection process.

“Mr Tse has extensive experience in public administration, is highly skilled in handling media and public relations, and possesses outstanding leadership and management capabilities,” Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung said in the statement.

Tse was rumoured to be up for the job even before the government announced the recruitment.

According to political insiders in October, Tse would be replacing then-ISD chief Apollonia Liu, who at the time was rumoured to be moving to the permanent secretary role at the Security Bureau. Liu took up the new post in February.

A domestic worker has been arrested on suspicion of child abuse after allegedly putting her employer’s two toddlers in a dog cage on two occasions.

Police said they received a report on Tuesday from the children’s mother, who alleged that the Indonesian domestic worker had put the two boys, aged two and three years, in a dog cage on two separate occasions in February.

The mother said she saw the incident on surveillance footage broadcast to her mobile phone.

The 32-year-old domestic worker was arrested at a residential estate in Tsing Yi on Tuesday on suspicion of ill-treatment or neglect by those in charge of a child or young person.

The mother also reported the case to the worker’s employment agency before deciding to file a police report.

The case has been passed to the Kwai Tsing police crime unit for further investigation.

The two toddlers did not have any visible injuries and had been discharged from hospital after treatment, according to local media reports.

The mother – a single parent who has three boys and a dog – began hiring the domestic worker in mid-2023, local media reported, citing unnamed sources.

Call for regulation

In a statement emailed to the media on Wednesday, lawmaker Elaine Chik expressed concern about the case and called for strengthened early warning and prevention measures to combat child abuse.

She urged employers to prioritise hiring domestic workers with first aid training, nursing, or child psychology backgrounds, adding that hiring agencies should advise workers on managing stress when caring for infants.

Chik, a member of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), also called on authorities to implement mandatory training on Hong Kong child protection laws and to look into establishing a regulatory authority to oversee standards for domestic workers.

The lawmaker also said she would bring up the incident at the Legislative Council and ask the government to provide follow-up measures for child abuse cases.

Hong Kong police have arrested nine men in a joint operation with law enforcement agencies in six other jurisdictions, targeting the production, use and distribution of child sexual abuse material online.

The city’s police force said on Monday that Operation Hurdler arrested a total of 326 people in March and April in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Brunei on suspicion of child sexual abuse material-related offences and other sex crimes.

The nine men held in Hong Kong, aged from 18 to 61, were arrested on suspicion of possessing child sexual abuse material, police said. One of them is also alleged to have sexually assaulted a 12-year-old boy multiple times between 2023 and 2024, police added.

Ferris Cheung, a superintendent of the force’s cyber security and technology crime bureau, said at a press conference on Monday that officers arrested the suspects on April 14, seizing 15 computers and external storage devices, as well as eight mobile phones.

Over 200 child sexual abuse videos and photos were found on the electronic devices, Cheung said.

“Initial investigation shows that the suspects downloaded the child sexual abuse material through social media platforms, websites and torrent software, and stored them in their computers or phones,” Cheung said in Cantonese.

One of the suspects, a 28-year-old man, had over 20 indecent videos and photos on his devices and is suspected of sexually assaulting a minor between 2023 and 2024, according to police.

The man allegedly befriended the boy online before meeting him in person and sexually assaulting him. The suspect has been charged with indecent assault and appeared before a magistrate on April 16, police said.

Tip of the iceberg

At the same press conference, police clinical psychologist Michael Fung warned of sexual grooming.

Citing a study jointly conducted by police, the University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Fung said 15 per cent of respondents admitted to having consumed child sexual abuse material.

The figure represented “the tip of the iceberg,” he said, adding that boys were just as vulnerable to online sexual predators as girls.

Offenders could come from different social classes, with varying income and educational levels, Fung said.

Tam Yik-wun, an acting superintendent of the force’s crime wing support, said that, while police recorded 62 cases related to child sexual abuse material in 2025 – down from 80 in the previous year – online sexual grooming remained a significant source of illicit content.

Offenders often lure minors into sending them intimate photos, which are then used for blackmail for money or sex, Tam said.

Some children mistakenly believe that sending images through the “view-once” function of social messaging apps is safe, Tam added.

She urged parents to be mindful of their children’s online connections, adding that in some cases, parents had successfully prevented their children from falling prey to sexual grooming by sharing social media accounts.

Cheung said the distribution of child sexual abuse material has been increasingly transnational, and that police will step up cooperation with counterparts in other jurisdictions in response.

Hong Kong has joined the International Child Sexual Exploitation Database, operated by Interpol and serving a network connecting investigators from 75 countries. The database has identified over 60,000 victims and led to the arrests of over 25,000 offenders, she said.

Under Hong Kong law, possession of child sexual abuse material carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a HK$1 million fine. The production or distribution of such material is punishable by up to eight years in jail and a HK$2 million fine.

A man has died after reportedly collapsing during a Hong Kong-bound Cathay Pacific flight from the UK.

Police said they received a report at around 6.15am on Friday that a passenger had lost consciousness on an inbound flight. The man, 51, was declared dead at the scene after the aircraft landed at Hong Kong International Airport.

An autopsy is currently underway to determine the cause of death.

Local media reported that the flight was operated by Cathay Pacific and had departed from Manchester. The man suffered from a chronic illness, reports said, citing anonymous sources.

After the man collapsed, the flight crew alerted Hong Kong’s Air Traffic Control Centre, which then notified emergency services.

Paramedics boarded the aircraft immediately after it touched down at 6.53am. They attempted resuscitation, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.