Fitting farewellfor customs hero

A funeral with full honors was held yesterday for customs officer Wong Cheuk-bond who died inside a capsized boat during an anti-smuggling operation last month.

Top officials arrived at the Universal Funeral Parlor in Hung Hom to pay last respects to Wong, including Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, finance boss Paul Chan Mo-po and justice head Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah.

Also present was the senior leadership of the disciplinary services, including Commissioner of Customs and Excise Hermes Tang Yi-hoi, police commissioner Chris Tang Ping-keung, immigration chief Erick Tsang Kwok-wai and People's Liberation Army officers.

The Taoist ceremony began at 10.15am with officials bowing and laying wreaths.

At 11am, Wong's coffin, draped in a SAR flag, was borne out to the hearse by his family and six colleagues. The hearse left the funeral home and detoured around the Customs Marine Base at Stonecutters Island to allow officers to pay their respects.

Wong was laid to rest in Gallant Garden at 1pm, in the presence of more than 100 officers in "overall dresses," who observed two minutes of silence.

The 26-year-old customs officer was the youngest of the three officers who died in the incident. Funerals for Ng Wing-man, a 43-year-old sergeant, and acting sergeant Lai Chi-hang, 36, will be held next month.

Two other officers were injured and have since been released from hospital.

Their boat hit a vessel near Lung Kwu Tan and Sha Chau that suspected smugglers abandoned after a chase around 9pm on January 21. The fire services department sent 72 firefighters and rescuers to the scene.

The three, wearing life jackets, died after being trapped inside.

The customs operation was targeting fishing boats and cargo vessels used to ship frozen meat to the mainland.

Lam praised the customs officers for being "fearless and dedicated to serving the public with professionalism," adding she was "profoundly grieved by the unfortunate loss of three customs colleagues."