June saw 44 convictions for breaches of anti-pollution legislation. There were 23 convictions for waste disposal, 16 for air pollution, three for water pollution and two for noise.

The biggest case involved the jailing of the Hong Kong and Mainland shipmasters of a pleasure craft and a cargo vessel smuggling waste computer monitors to the Mainland. They were sentenced to two months' jail for two environmental offences and four months for export offences.

Marine Police intercepted the vessels at Hong Kong's eastern marine border May 5. The shipmasters were later charged by the Environmental Protection Department for conspiracy in the export of controlled waste without a permit and for failure to engage the service of a licensed chemical waste collector. The sentences will run concurrently.

The department said the heavy penalties will act as a strong deterrent against illegal transboundary movements of hazardous waste.