Two incoming passengers were both sentenced to three months' imprisonment and fined $2,000 by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (October 15) for possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).
      
     Customs officers intercepted a 47-year-old incoming female passenger and a 43-year-old incoming male passenger at Hong Kong International Airport on October 13. A total of about 24 000 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with a total estimated market value of about $98,000 and a total duty potential of about $79,000, were seized from their personal baggage. They were subsequently arrested.
      
     The passengers were both sentenced to three months' imprisonment and fined $2,000 in contravention of the DCO today.
      
     Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence imposes a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences.
      
     Customs reminds members of the public that 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.
      
     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, October 15, 2025
Issued at HKT 18:10

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