An intensifying crackdown on illegal smoking at Hong Kong public transport facilities has led to the penalisation of 18 people during more than 100 inspections carried out in just two days, with authorities hailing the success of their undercover tactics.

The Department of Health said on Wednesday that its plain-clothes enforcement strategy, introduced in 2023, had resulted in a sharp increase in fixed-penalty tickets, which more than doubled from about 6,000 in 2022 to over 13,000 in 2024.

Lam Man-chung, head of the department’s Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office, said inspectors had conducted more than 100 patrols and issued 18 fixed-penalty notices since a citywide operation targeting smoking at smoke-free public transport facilities kicked off on Monday. The operation, code-named “Laserflame”, will last until Saturday.

“Our enforcement strategy has been adjusted since 2023. We have adopted what is called a plain-clothes approach,” Lam said during a radio programme.

He also said that the shift in tactics had led to a surge in the number of fines.

“The effect has been very significant in terms of enforcement efficiency,” Lam added.

“While our patrol figures have not changed substantially, the number of fixed-penalty notices we issued annually rose from about 6,000 in 2022 to more than 13,000 in 2024. The main reason is the change in enforcement strategy.”