Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes and importing alternative smoking products (with photo)

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     An incoming female passenger was sentenced to five months' imprisonment and fined $1,000 at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (July 23) for possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them 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 the incoming female passenger, aged 49, at Hong Kong International Airport on May 11. Forty thousand duty-not-paid cigarettes and 6 400 alternative smoking products, with an estimated market value of about $183,000 and a duty potential of about $132,000 in total, were seized from her personal baggage. She was subsequently arrested.

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

     Under the DCO, tobacco products are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes 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/Wednesday, July 23, 2025
Issued at HKT 16:10

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An incoming 49-year-old female passenger was sentenced to five months' imprisonment and fined $1,000 at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (July 23) for possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs officers, as well as for importing alternative smoking products, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance and the Import and Export Ordinance. Photo shows the duty-not-paid cigarettes and alternative smoking products seized.