Three incoming passengers were sentenced between 40 days' and eight months' imprisonment and fined between $800 and $2,000 by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts and the Fanling Magistrates' Courts today (September 22) for importing 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 a 43-year-old incoming male passenger and a 37-year-old incoming female passenger at Hong Kong International Airport on July 26. About 106 400 duty-not-paid cigarettes and about 20 000 alternative smoking products, with an estimated market value of about $479,000 and a duty potential of about $351,000 in total, were seized from their personal baggage. They were subsequently arrested.
      
     The male passenger was sentenced to six months' imprisonment and fined $1,000 in contravention of the DCO and was sentenced to three months' imprisonment in contravention of the IEO by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today. One month of the sentences will run concurrently, making for a total of eight months' imprisonment.
      
     The female passenger was sentenced to six months' imprisonment and fined $800 in contravention of the DCO and was sentenced to eight days' imprisonment in contravention of the IEO by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today. All sentences will run separately, making for a total of six months and eight days' imprisonment.

     In addition, Customs officers intercepted a 55-year-old incoming male passenger at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point on September 20 and seized 541 sticks of duty-not-paid cigarettes with an estimated market value of about $2,000 and a duty potential of about $1,700 found on him. The passenger was subsequently arrested. He was sentenced to 40 days' imprisonment and fined $2,000 by the Fanling Magistrates' Courts today in contravention of the DCO.
      
     Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence imposes a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences.
      
     Under the DCO, cigarettes 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 $2 million and imprisonment for seven 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/Monday, September 22, 2025
Issued at HKT 18:30

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