Police National Security Department arrests one man and one woman
The National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force conducted an enforcement operation yesterday (August 30) in Kowloon and the New Territories and arrested a man and a woman, aged 41 and 28 respectively, for being suspected of "doing with a seditious intention an act or acts that had a seditious intention", contravening Section 24 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. Police conducted searches at the arrested persons’ residences with a court warrant, where light boxes, materials for making light boxes and relevant electronic communication devices were seized. The arrested persons are now being detained for investigation.
Investigation revealed that the arrested woman was suspected of publishing fraudulent “last words” of the deceased in relation to a recent suicide case, while the arrested man was suspected of persistently placing so-called “memorial light boxes” in various places, with contents provoking hatred towards the Central Authorities and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The enforcement action is still on-going. Police remind the public that "doing with a seditious intention an act or acts that had a seditious intention" is a serious offence. Offenders shall be liable on first conviction to imprisonment for seven years. Members of the public are urged not to defy the law.
Two incoming passengers convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and alternative smoking products
Two incoming Chinese male passengers were sentenced to between eight to ten weeks' imprisonment and fined $500 by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (June 27) for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes, failing to declare them to Customs officers, as well as for importing alternative smoking products (ASPs), in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO) and the Import and Export Ordinance (IEO).
Customs officers intercepted the two Chinese male passengers, aged 40 and 28, at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (June 26). Customs officers seized about 300 duty-not-paid cigarettes and a total of about 21 000 ASPs with an estimated market value of about $65,000 and a duty potential of about $1,000, from their baggage. The two passengers were subsequently arrested. They were respectively sentenced to eight weeks' imprisonment and a fine of $500, and ten weeks' imprisonment today.
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 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).
Two incoming passengers convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and alternative smoking products Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
