The Special Duties Unit (SDU), the most elite formation of the Force, has been established for half a century since 1974. 60-year-old Station Sergeant Gima Lee, who has been in the Force for 42 years, passed the specialised units selection in 1988 and progressed to the SDU selection.

Gima revealed that during the selection, there had been scenes resembling plots in films. “The instructor would wake up trainees at night for accomplishing tasks, or arrange trainees to respond to a sudden raid in a dark room. Every moment was part of the assessment. Even when we sat down for a rest, the instructors would still continue to test our observation and memory.” After 14 days of stringent selection, only eight of the two dozen shortlisted candidates advanced to the next stage of training. After several rounds of elimination, only Gima and another two candidates were chosen as SDU members. Gima was assigned to serve as a sniper responsible for ambush and cover.

Gima recalled his two most unforgettable missions during his 30 years in SDU. The first one was the fierce gun battle at the Kwangchow House in Tsuen Wan in 1992, in which his team successfully captured all the gangsters amidst gun-firing. In the other case, Gima’s team was ordered to lurk outside a tin-sheet house in the Mai Po mangroves, preparing to smash an arms syndicate. “In that scorching summer, we spent two months there on recce, lurking and making arrest. The itchy and painful bites by the mosquitoes and fire ants were unbearable. Yet all team members held steadfastly to their positions until all the suspects were arrested and plenty of guns seized.”

Gima was appointed as an instructor of SDU in 1998 and has witnessed the improvement of the assessment and training of SDU. “Taking swimming as an example, we used to focus on the route and distance only. Data analysis is now employed to ensure that the trainees reach various standards before passing the training. The 14-day advanced selection has also been condensed into the 7-day ‘hell week’. SDU has also initiated a build-up course to help interested candidates get prepared.”

In response to the ever-changing counter-terrorism situation, SDU officers are always on their mark. “Our responsibility, just like our original aspiration, is to safeguard Hong Kong in our best condition.” He encouraged colleagues with excellent physical fitness and perseverance to apply for SDU or other specialised units.

Since his retirement from SDU in 2019, Gima is still contributing to the Force on a post-retirement service contract. He has joined the Research and Development (R&D) Division of Police Tactical Unit (PTU) Headquarters to assist in the R&D and procurement of equipment. Gima has helped introduce stab-proof vests currently used on the frontline and the mixed reality training system. He hopes to help the Force introduce more quality equipment to empower the elites.

SDU documentary debuts

Transcend 50 Years, a documentary jointly produced by SDU and TVB News, features interviews of SDU members and footages of operation and training that have never been exposed before. It also reviews the important moments of SDU safeguarding Hong Kong over the last 50 years since its establishment. It is aired on TVB Jade at 7pm on Sundays from July 7 to 21.