Hong Kong Customs steps up enforcement to combat illicit cigarette telephone-ordering activities and raids suspected "cheap whites" storage centre
Hong Kong Customs has been mounting a territory-wide enforcement operation codenamed "Thunder" starting this week to combat illicit cigarette telephone-ordering activities. A suspected storage centre for duty-not-paid cigarettes, commonly known as "cheap whites", was shut down yesterday (July 8), and a total of about 1.15 million suspected duty-not-paid "cheap whites" with an estimated market value of about $5.2 million and a duty potential of about $3.8 million were seized. One person involved in the case was arrested.
Through risk assessment and intelligence analysis, Customs officers conducted an anti-illicit cigarette operation in Tsuen Wan yesterday and intercepted a suspicious-looking man in an industrial building. A batch of suspected duty-not-paid "cheap whites" was seized from the man's trolley and from two units in the building which were used as a storage centre. The 27-year-old man, who was in charge of the storage centre and claimed to be a salesperson, was subsequently arrested.
After preliminary investigations, Customs believes that illicit cigarette syndicates would distribute the suspected duty-not-paid "cheap whites" seizedto the Tsuen Wan and Kwai Tsing Districts through telephone ordering. The operation has successfully shut down the supply chain in the Districts.
The investigation is ongoing, and the arrested man has been released on bail pending further investigation.
Customs reminds all retailers, including newsstands, convenience stores and grocery stores, that if the department has reasonable suspicion that the cigarettes being sold are duty-not-paid products, regardless of the quantity of cigarettes involved, decisive enforcement actions will be taken. Meanwhile, Customs appeals to retailers not to sell cigarettes from unknown sources. They must ascertain whether the relevant cigarette companies or intermediaries are legal and whether the cigarettes they supply are duty-paid in order to avoid criminal liability.
Customs will continue its risk assessment and intelligence analysis for interception at source as well as through its multipronged enforcement strategy targeting storages, distribution and peddling to spare no effort in combating illicit cigarette activities.
Customs stresses that it is an offence to buy or sell illicit cigarettes. Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, anyone involved in dealing with, possession of, selling or buying illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two 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/).
Hong Kong Customs steps up enforcement to combat illicit cigarette telephone-ordering activities and raids suspected "cheap whites" storage centre Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
