Two incoming passengers were each sentenced to four months' imprisonment and both fined $1,000 at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (May 8) for dealing with duty-not-paid tobacco and failing to declare it to Customs Officers, as well as for importing alternative smoking products, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO) and the Import and Export Ordinance (IEO).

     Customs officers intercepted a 42-year-old incoming male passenger and a 28-year-old incoming male passenger at Hong Kong International Airport on March 4 and 11 respectively. A total of about 20 000 duty-not-paid cigarettes, about 46 000 alternative smoking products and about 32 kilograms of duty-not-paid cigars, with an estimated market value of about $882,000 and a duty potential of about $206,000 in total, were seized from their personal baggage. They were subsequently arrested.

     Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences. 

     Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, tobacco products are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who deals with, possesses, sells or buys duty-not-paid tobacco commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years. 

     Under the IEO, any person who imports an alternative smoking product into Hong Kong commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Ends/Thursday, May 8, 2025
Issued at HKT 18:15

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