Woman sentenced to immediate imprisonment for unlicensed export of powdered formula for infants and children
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     A woman pleaded guilty today (December 23) at the Fanling Magistrates' Courts for illegally exporting powdered formula for infants and children under 36 months (powdered formula) from Hong Kong, contravening the Import and Export (General) (Amendment) Regulation 2013 once again within the period of a court suspension order. She was sentenced to immediate imprisonment of 35 days.  

     Hong Kong Customs yesterday (December 22) intercepted a 37-year-old woman departing Hong Kong at the departure hall of Lo Wu Control Point. Customs officers found in her personal baggage four boxes of powdered formula, with a total net weight of 3.2 kilogrammes, which exceeded the limit of 1.8 kilogrammes. She had three previous conviction records for the same offence and was sentenced by the court to 21 days imprisonment suspended for 12 months in her most recent convicted case in November this year.  

     The woman failed to present a licence to export the powdered formula in excess of the limit yesterday and was suspected to have committed the offence within the period of a court suspension order. She was arrested and remanded for formal charge of the related offence. She was convicted by the Fanling Magistrates' court today and sentenced to immediate imprisonment of 35 days. The powdered formula concerned was confiscated.

     A Customs spokesperson reminded members of the public and persons departing Hong Kong to observe and abide by the new regulation on the export of powdered formula from Hong Kong, which took effect on March 1, 2013.

     The Import and Export (General) (Amendment) Regulation 2013 prohibits the unlicensed export of powdered formula, including milk powder and soya milk powder, for infants and children under 36 months. To allow a reasonable quantity for personal use, the prohibition does not apply to powdered formula not exceeding 1.8 kilogrammes in total net weight that is exported in the accompanied personal baggage of a person leaving Hong Kong. However, the person must be aged 16 or above and must not have left Hong Kong in the last 24 hours.

     Offenders may face a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for two years upon conviction.

     The Customs will continue to step up enforcement action at the control points to crack down on the illegal export of powdered formula from Hong Kong.

Ends/Monday, December 23, 2013
Issued at HKT 18:16

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