Tsim Sha Tsui pharmacy clerk arrested over powdered herbs sale
HK01 · 3 SOURCES1 day ago4 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong Customs has arrested a 30-year-old local male clerk at a pharmacy in Tsim Sha Tsui after receiving a complaint on October 27 about the sale of Chinese medicinal herbs. Investigators said the customer was told the total price only after the herbs had been ground into powder, and the clerk is suspected of using a misleading omission in breach of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance.
Key Points
- Customs said the complaint involved a pharmacy on Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, where the customer went on October 26 to buy medicine
- According to Customs investigator Lo Wing-yan (羅穎欣), a male clerk then promoted several Chinese medicinal herbs, saying they could improve the customer’s poor circulation and general condition
- When the customer asked for the total price, the clerk allegedly avoided answering, offered to waive the cost of earlier medicine, and had another staff member grind the herbs without the customer’s consent
- Only after the herbs were turned into powder did the clerk allegedly quote a total price of about HK$20,000, then later proposed selling half the herbs for HK$11,400
- Customs arrested a 30-year-old local male clerk the same day on suspicion of misleading omission under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance; the case is still under investigation.
Why It Matters
The case shows how quickly Customs can act on complaints involving short-stay visitors, with its rapid action team prioritising urgent reports for investigation. For shoppers in Hong Kong, the official advice is to use reputable merchants, check pricing units carefully, and ask for the full total before agreeing to a purchase.