Skip to content

What's New

Recent Activities

Visits to the Customs and Excise Department's headquarters, detector dog kennel and training school

Supporting Organisation: Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department

Visits to the Customs and Excise Department's headquarters, detector dog kennel and training school

Over 200 CDF participants were given the opportunity to visit the headquarters building, detector dog kennel and training school of the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED), gaining a multi-faceted understanding of the work of the C&ED.

Customs Headquarters Building

Customs Headquarters Building

Commissioned in late 2010, the Customs Headquarters Building in North Point houses the offices of the C&ED's administrative and investigation formations, as well as facilities which serve the operational and development needs of the Department, including a Customer Service Centre, an indoor firing range, a detention centre, a multi-purpose auditorium, an exhibition gallery and a media briefing room.

Customs Headquarters Building A retired customs officer, as a docent for the exhibition gallery themed “The History and Development of Hong Kong Customs in the past 100 years”, briefed participants on the development and functions of the C&ED in the past century.
Customs Headquarters Building As explained by the docent, the sword on the badge of the C&ED stands for vigorous law enforcement, the key represents its gate-keeping role for the borders of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the outer laurel symbolises the Department's determination to accomplish its mission.
Meeting the detector dogs

Meeting the detector dogs

Detector dogs are important partners of customs officers in the battle against drug trafficking. There are 49 detector dogs, mainly Labrador Retrievers and English Springers. They are deployed to detect drugs and explosives at the airport, land boundary control points and container terminals.

Meeting the detector dogs During their visit to the detector dog kennel and veterinary room, participants were briefed by experienced dog handlers on the daily routine of detector dogs, such as screening travellers and their personal baggage at Customs checkpoints, and inbound and outbound cargoes carried by different modes of transport and containers.
Meeting the detector dogs During their visit to the detector dog kennel and veterinary room, participants were briefed by experienced dog handlers on the daily routine of detector dogs, such as screening travellers and their personal baggage at Customs checkpoints, and inbound and outbound cargoes carried by different modes of transport and containers.
Meeting the detector dogs During their visit to the detector dog kennel and veterinary room, participants were briefed by experienced dog handlers on the daily routine of detector dogs, such as screening travellers and their personal baggage at Customs checkpoints, and inbound and outbound cargoes carried by different modes of transport and containers.
Detector dogs performing mock drug detection exercise. Detector dogs performing mock drug detection exercise.
Meeting the detector dogs Detector dogs performing mock drug detection exercise.
Meeting the detector dogs Meeting the detector dogs Detector dogs performing mock drug detection exercise.
Customs and Excise Training School — a well-equipped training base

Customs and Excise Training School — a well-equipped training base

The Customs and Excise Training School in Tai Lam Chung, Tuen Mun, is the training base of all newly-recruited customs officers. Occupying an area of about 40 000 m2, the school offers a full range of facilities and can accommodate up to 280 officers for residential training at a time.

Customs and Excise Training School Participants briefed on the historical background and duties of the C&ED, and some job information.
Customs and Excise Training School Participants impressed by the perfectly tidy and clean trainee dormitory.
Customs and Excise Training School The simulated boundary control point in the Professional Development Training Block equipped with high-tech equipment to meet the Customs' daily operational needs.
Customs and Excise Training School Participants watching the screening of their belongings by an x-ray machine commonly installed at boundary control points.
Customs and Excise Training School The mock court in the Training Block for customs officers to familiarise themselves with the procedures of adducing evidence.
Customs and Excise Training School Participants briefed on the import and export declaration of boundary-crossing vehicles, and measures to guard against importation and exportation of the prohibited and tax evasion.
Customs and Excise Training School Participants at a simulated scene for checking inside a container truck.

What they say…

What they say
TAM Wing-yui
Participant of the "Take the Lead" project (Tuen Mun) organised by Yan Oi Tong

"The visit to the fully-equipped Customs and Excise Training School is an eye-opener. Touching the drug detector dogs and watching them perform drug search are unforgettable experiences. The dogs are so smart and obedient. They can smell out drugs inside baggage, making them good working partners of customs officers."
What they say
LAM Ka-mun
Participant from the Lok Sin Tong Leung Kau Kui Primary School

"The customs officers were doing foot drill training when we arrived at the Training School. They must have put in huge effort as they were marching in such a highly organised and synchronised fashion. The trainee dormitories we visited were neat and tidy, fully reflecting the stringent requirements of disciplined services. During our visit to the mock court room, we were given the opportunities to play the roles of judge, defendant and witness. We also visited the mock parade room as the ones which were often shown on TV. We all had a great time."

Interested in more stories?