Hong Kong Customs raids suspected illicit cigarette storage centre in Kwai Chung
Hong Kong Customs yesterday (November 12) raided a suspected illicit cigarette storage centre in Kwai Chung and seized about 240 000 suspected illicit cigarettes with an estimated market value of about $1.08 million and a duty potential of about $790,000. Five persons suspected to be connected with the case were arrested.
Through intelligence analysis and after a thorough investigation, Customs discovered that a cigarette smuggling syndicate had been using hotel rooms as illicit cigarette storage centres, and intercepted four suspicious men at a hotel in Kwai Chung yesterday afternoon. About 80 000 suspected illicit cigarettes were seized from their nylon bags on a luggage cart, and they were subsequently arrested. Later, Customs officers escorted them to a room within the hotel for a search and further seized 160 000 suspected illicit cigarettes, and arrested another man in the room. The five arrested men were aged between 22 and 52.
Customs believes that the arrestees deliberately made use of hotel rooms as temporary storage centres and distributed illicit cigarettes in the mode of an "ant-moving-home" to reduce the risk of being detected by Customs. This operation successfully dismantled a syndicate that utilised hotel rooms for the storage and distribution of illicit cigarettes. Customs will continue to trace the source and flow of the illicit cigarettes. The likelihood of further arrests is not ruled out.
The five arrested men were charged with "dealing with goods to which the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance applies" and will appear at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (November 14).
Customs will continue its risk assessment and intelligence analysis for interception at source as well as through its multipronged enforcement strategy targeting storage, 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 $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).
Hong Kong Customs raids suspected illicit cigarette storage centre in Kwai Chung Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Hong Kong Customs raids suspected illicit cigarette storage centre in Kwai Chung Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FEHD releases sixth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in March
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (April 1) released the sixth batch of gravidtrap indexes and density indexes for Aedes albopictus in March, covering 18 survey areas, as follows:
District |
Survey Area |
March 2026 |
First Phase Gravidtrap Index |
First Phase Density Index |
Islands |
Cheung Chau |
0.0% |
N/A |
Wong Tai Sin |
Wong Tai Sin West |
0.0% |
N/A |
Sai Kung |
Sai Kung Town |
0.0% |
N/A |
Kwai Tsing |
Lai King |
0.0% |
N/A |
Yuen Long |
Hung Shui Kiu and Ping Shan |
0.0% |
N/A |
District |
Survey Area |
March 2026 |
Area Gravidtrap Index |
Area Density Index |
Central and Western |
Kennedy Town and Shek Tong Tsui |
0.0% |
N/A |
Wan Chai |
Happy Valley and Tai Hang |
1.8% |
1.0 |
Islands |
Tung Chung |
0.0% |
N/A |
Kowloon City |
Ho Man Tin |
0.9% |
1.0 |
Kowloon Tong |
2.5% |
1.0 |
Sham Shui Po |
Cheung Sha Wan |
0.9% |
1.0 |
Sham Shui Po and Shek Kip Mei |
0.0% |
N/A |
Yau Tsim |
Tsim Sha Tsui and Yau Ma Tei |
0.0% |
N/A |
North |
Fanling South |
0.0% |
N/A |
Tai Po |
Tai Po East |
0.0% |
N/A |
Tsuen Wan |
Sheung Kwai Chung |
1.0% |
1.0 |
Tuen Mun |
Tuen Mun South |
0.9% |
1.0 |
Yuen Long |
Yuen Long Town |
0.0% |
N/A |
Among the sixth batch of First Phase Gravidtrap Indexes covering five survey areas and Area Gravidtrap Indexes covering 13 survey areas in March, most of the areas recorded 0 per cent, indicating that the distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes was not extensive.
The FEHD has so far released six batches of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in March 2026, covering 62 survey areas. Among these 62 survey areas, 47 recorded a decrease or remained unchanged as compared to the Area Gravidtrap Index last month (i.e. February 2026), representing that the areas' mosquito infestation improved or maintained a low level. Fifteen other areas recorded a slight increase, but the indexes were lower than 10 per cent.
The warm and humid weather of spring is favourable for mosquito breeding. Members of the public should strengthen prevention work against mosquito breeding before the rainy season, and eliminate potential mosquito breeding sites in advance, with a view to avoiding the nuisances caused by rapid mosquito breeding during the rainy season and reducing the risk of transmitting mosquito-borne diseases.
Public participation is crucial to the effective control of mosquito problems. The FEHD appeals to members of the public to continue to work together in strengthening personal mosquito control measures, including:
tidy up their premises and check for any accumulation of water inside their premises;
remove all unnecessary water collections and eliminate the sources;
check household items (those placed in outdoor and open areas in particular), such as refuse containers, vases, air conditioner drip trays, and laundry racks to prevent stagnant water;
change water in flower vases and scrub their inner surfaces thoroughly, and remove water in saucers under potted plants at least once a week;
properly cover all containers that hold water to prevent mosquitoes from accessing the water;
properly dispose of articles that can contain water, such as disposable meal boxes and empty cans; and
scrub drains and surface sewers with alkaline detergent at least once a week to remove any mosquito eggs.
Starting in August 2025, following the completion of the surveillance of individual survey areas, and once the latest gravidtrap index and the density index are available, the FEHD has been disseminating relevant information through press releases, its website and social media. It aims to allow members of the public to quickly grasp the mosquito infestation situation and strengthen mosquito control efforts, thereby reducing the risk of chikungunya fever (CF) transmission.
Following recommendations from the World Health Organization and taking into account the local situation in Hong Kong, the FEHD sets up gravidtraps in districts where mosquito-borne diseases have been recorded in the past, as well as in densely populated places such as housing estates, hospitals and schools to monitor the breeding and distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which can transmit CF and dengue fever. At present, the FEHD has set up gravidtraps in 62 survey areas of the community, with a surveillance period of two weeks. During the surveillance period, the FEHD will collect the gravidtraps once a week. After the first week of surveillance, the FEHD will immediately examine the glue boards inside the retrieved gravidtraps for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes to compile the Gravidtrap Index (First Phase) and Density Index (First Phase). At the end of the second week of surveillance, the FEHD will instantly check the glue boards for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes. Data from the two weeks of surveillance will be combined to obtain the Area Gravidtrap Index and the Area Density Index. The gravidtrap and density indexes for Aedes albopictus in different survey areas, as well as information on mosquito prevention and control measures, are available on the department's webpage (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pestcontrol/dengue_fever/Dengue_Fever_Gravidtrap_Index_Update.html#).
Source: AI-found images
