Two incoming passengers convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and alternative smoking products (with photos)

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     Two incoming male passengers were sentenced to four months' and five months' imprisonment and fined $1,000 respectively by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (October 24) for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes, 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 29-year-old and a 30-year-old incoming male passenger at Hong Kong International Airport on August 14. About 29 400 duty-not-paid cigarettes and about 25 800 alternative smoking products, with an estimated market value of about $197,000 and a duty potential of about $97,000 and about 28 800 duty-not-paid cigarettes and about 43 000 alternative smoking products, with an estimated market value of about $247,000 and a duty potential of about $95,000 in total, were seized from their personal baggage respectively. The passengers were subsequently arrested. The 29-year-old passenger was sentenced to four months' imprisonment and fined $1,000 by the court today while the 30-year-old passenger was sentenced to five months' imprisonment and fined $1,000.

     Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed 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/Friday, October 24, 2025
Issued at HKT 20:45

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A 29-year-old incoming male passenger was sentenced to four months' imprisonment and fined $1,000 by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (October 24) 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 and the Import and Export Ordinance. Photo shows the duty-not-paid cigarettes and alternative smoking products seized.

A 30-year-old incoming male passenger was sentenced to five months' imprisonment and fined $1,000 by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (October 24) 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 and the Import and Export Ordinance. Photo shows the duty-not-paid cigarettes and alternative smoking products seized.