Singer's drug fine

Canto-pop singer and actor, Deep Ng, has been fined HK$5,000 after being found guilty of possessing dangerous drugs.

While noting that drug abuse was unacceptable and had become an increasingly serious problem, the Kowloon City Magistracy said the defendant should not be given a higher sentence just because he was a public figure.

Ng was arrested for possessing 1.2 grams of cocaine in Tsim Sha Tsui in June. He pleaded guilty to the charge at an earlier hearing.

Another entertainer Roy Chow was convicted of drug abuse recently and is serving an 18-month probation sentence.

60 netted for illegal work

Forty-one illegal workers and 19 employers were arrested in a joint operation by the Labour Department and the police from Sunday to Wednesday.

A total of 96 labour inspectors and 147 police officers were mobilized and 229 working places, including decoration work sites, waste paper processing workshops, retail stalls and eateries, were raided in "Operation Champion".

The arrested included one foreign domestic helper and 40 Two-Way Permit holders.

Thailand food poisoning

The Centre for Health Protection has been notified of five food poisoning outbreaks involving 36 people who had travelled to Thailand this month.

Eleven men and six women fell sick in the two outbreaks reported yesterday.

They suffered diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fever and vomiting within 11 to 26 hours of having a lunch buffet on the island of Koh Khai on Tuesday. One was treated in Thailand and the others sought medical advice upon their return to Hong Kong. All are in stable condition.

The other three outbreaks occurred earlier this month, involving two tour groups that travelled to Thailand from August 8 to 12 and from August 12 to 16.

(HK Edition 08/20/2004 page2)