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

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     An incoming male passenger was sentenced to four months' imprisonment and fined $1,000 by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (April 25) for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes, failing to declare them to Customs officers, as well as importing alternative smoking products, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO) and the Import and Export Ordinance (IEO).

     Customs officers intercepted an incoming male passenger, aged 47, at Hong Kong International Airport on April 24, and seized about 21 000 duty-not-paid cigarettes and 21 200 alternative smoking products, with an estimated market value of about $211,000 and a duty potential of about $69,400 from his personal baggage. The passenger was 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, 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/Saturday, April 25, 2026
Issued at HKT 19:53

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An incoming male passenger was sentenced to four months' imprisonment by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (April 25) for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs officers, as well as 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 the alternative smoking products seized in the case.