Police said they will launch a counter-terrorism reporting hotline from Wednesday to encourage members of the public to provide intelligence on terrorism or violence-related crimes.

The force said the “Counter-terrorism (CT) Reporting Hotline 63-666-999” replaces the existing Anti-violence Hotline, which was established in the midst of the 2019 social unrest.

“Apart from violent acts, the public may also report suspected terrorism-related activities around them, in particular extremist plots, via this upgraded hotline,” the police said in a statement published on Tuesday.

“Reporting such acts without delay will prevent and combat extremist activities more effectively. The public will also be able to protect themselves, their relatives and friends.”

Senior Superintendent of the force's Inter-departmental Counter Terrorism Unit (ICTU), Leung Wai-ki, said people can provide information through SMS and WeChat, adding that authorities will consider whether to open up more reporting channels later.

He said even though society has very much returned to stability after the introduction of the national security law, some local extremists have taken their activities underground and it is crucial to rely on members of the community to come forward with information.

He pointed out that officials are planning to pay rewards to those who provide reliable and crucial intelligence.

If the information provided by an individual is deemed to be of crucial assistance to a case, he said the ICTU will, upon completion of prosecution, assess and determine how much to reward the informant.