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Two incoming passengers convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes (with photos)
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     Two incoming passengers were each sentenced to seven months' imprisonment with a fine of $1,000 by the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts today (July 18) for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO) (Cap. 109).
      
     Customs officers intercepted two inbound private cars at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) Hong Kong Port on July 17.  A 38-year-old Mainland female passenger and a 32-year-old Mainland male passenger, arriving in Hong Kong from Macao were arrested. A total of 88 400 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $450,000 and a duty potential of about $290,000, were seized from their personal baggage.
      
     Customs welcomes the sentences. The custodial sentences have imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflect the seriousness of the offences.
      
     Customs reminds members of the public and travellers that under the DCO, anyone involved in importing, dealing with, possession of, selling or buying 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, its dedicated crime-reporting email account ​(crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
 
Ends/Saturday, July 18, 2026
Issued at HKT 16:20
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Two incoming passengers were sentenced to seven months' imprisonment with a fine of $1,000 by the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts on July 18 for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109). Photo shows the illicit cigarettes seized from the personal baggage of the 38-year-old Mainland female passenger.
Two incoming passengers were sentenced to seven months' imprisonment with a fine of $1,000 by the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts on July 18 for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109). Photo shows the illicit cigarettes seized from the personal baggage of the 32-year-old Mainland male passenger.