Speaking at the GCA presentation ceremony, Acting Deputy Commissioner (Management) Au Chi-kwong pointed out that the overall law and order situation in Hong Kong is improving with the indispensable contribution of a law-abiding community, the effective law enforcement by the police, and the close police-community partnership.

 

Commending the GCA awardees for their exemplary courage and alertness, he also urged the public to continue joining hands with the police to fight crime.

 

With the help of the awardees, more than 30 persons have been arrested for a variety of offences, including robbery, burglary, theft, indecent assault, and wounding. Each of the awardees received a certificate and a cheque for $3,000 at the ceremony.

 

Two of the awardees, Mr Ng Kong-naat and Ms Ng Hoi-lai, were working in the same money exchange shop when they helped a total of six elderly people, who had been cheated into remitting money to "rescue" their relatives in the Mainland, uncover telephone scams and avoid suffering monetary losses between April last year and January this year.

 

Another two awardees, Mr Lau Kam-ping and Ms Chan Mei-yee, assisted the police in recovering $160,000 from the incident of three cash boxes dropping onto the road from a traveling cash escort vehicle and scattering millions worth of banknotes on the road in December last year.

 

Two passengers in the taxi with Mr Lau at the wheel got off and picked up some of the banknotes. Mr Lau later provided information to the police, leading to the identification of the passengers.

 

Ms Chan, who was working in the vicinity where the passengers boarded the taxi, also helped the police identify the suspects. Both passengers were arrested and one of them was subsequently jailed for five months.

 

Presented twice a year, the GCA scheme is organised by the Police Public Relations Branch and sponsored by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce (HKGCC). More than 4 000 persons have been presented with the GCA over the years.