Hong Kong Customs Seizes 11.64 Million Illicit Cigarettes, Arrests 61 in Smuggling Crackdown

Hong Kong Customs combats illicit cigarette smuggling activities involving air passengers and dismantles related illicit cigarette storage centres

Hong Kong Customs mounted enforcement operations to combat illicit cigarette smuggling activities involving air passengers and shut down related illicit cigarette storage centres between September and December, successfully neutralising a transnational syndicate that smuggled illicit cigarettes through air passengers. A total of about 11.64 million illicit cigarettes and 1.4 million alternative smoking products were seized, with an estimated market value of about $56.5 million. The duty potential of the illicit cigarettes was about $38.5 million. Sixty-one persons connected with the cases were arrested.

During the operations, Customs detected 38 illicit cigarette smuggling cases involving passengers at the airport and seized a total of about 1.44 million illicit cigarettes. Forty-three passengers, aged between 21 and 61 and arriving in Hong Kong from the East and Southeast Asian regions, were arrested.

Following intelligence analyses and in-depth investigations into the cases, Customs discovered that a cigarette smuggling syndicate had been using hotel rooms as distribution points for the illicit cigarettes. After sorting and packaging, the illicit cigarettes would be transported to storage centres in industrial or commercial buildings for temporary storage and subsequently supplied to different districts or transported to logistics centres for overseas transshipment.

Customs then mounted a series of enforcement actions and raided various illicit cigarette distribution points and storage centres, including three hotel rooms in Tsuen Wan, Ting Kau and Tuen Mun, five industrial building units in Kwai Chung, Fanling, Tuen Mun and Ap Lei Chau, one commercial building unit in Tsuen Wan, and one logistics centre in Tsing Yi. A total of about 10.2 million illicit cigarettes and 1.4 million alternative smoking products were seized, and 18 men, aged between 22 and 52, were arrested.

Fifty-seven of the arrestees had been charged for dealing with or possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes, failing to declare them to Customs officers, or importing alternative smoking products, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO) or the Import and Export Ordinance (IEO), while 35 of them were convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for between four weeks and nine months at the Magistrates' Courts. Customs welcomes the sentences. The custodial sentences have imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflect the seriousness of the offences.

It is believed that the operations have effectively disrupted the source and the local supply chains of the illicit cigarettes. As some of the brands of the illicit cigarettes seized were uncommon in Hong Kong, Customs believes that the syndicate planned to transport part of the illicit cigarettes to regions with higher tobacco duty for profit.

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 vigorously combat illicit cigarette activities.

Under the DCO, 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. In addition, 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).

Hong Kong Customs combats illicit cigarette smuggling activities involving air passengers and dismantles related illicit cigarette storage centres Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs combats illicit cigarette smuggling activities involving air passengers and dismantles related illicit cigarette storage centres Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs combats illicit cigarette smuggling activities involving air passengers and dismantles related illicit cigarette storage centres Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Cleaner Production meeting explores ways to strengthen co-operation

The Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Department of Industry and Information Technology of Guangdong Province (GDDIIT) today (December 18) convened the 12th meeting of the Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Cleaner Production (JWGCP) in Guangzhou. An award presentation ceremony for the Hong Kong-Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners Recognition Scheme was also held to commend 165 enterprises supporting cleaner production.

The 12th meeting of the JWGCP was cochaired by the Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology of the HKSAR Government, Miss Diane Wong, and the Deputy Director-General of the GDDIIT, Mr Chen Lei, to review the work progress in 2025 and approve the work plan for 2026. Governments of both Hong Kong and Guangdong will continue to promote the adoption of cleaner production technologies and practices in energy-intensive, polluting and water-intensive industries, through the promotion of the adoption and upgrading of relevant technologies; undertaking cleaner production audits; and encouraging enterprises to try out new cleaner production technologies. This is to achieve energy saving, emission reduction, and consumption and carbon emission reduction, thereby improving the regional environment and accelerating the green transformation of enterprises. Both sides will also continue to implement publicity activities to promote the effectiveness of cleaner production to the industry.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the EEB, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), the Trade and Industry Department, the Innovation and Technology Commission and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong. On the Guangdong side, representatives from the GDDIIT, the Guangdong Provincial Development and Reform Commission, the Department of Ecology and Environment of Guangdong Province and the Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province attended the meeting.

After the JWGCP meeting, the 2025 award presentation ceremony for the Hong Kong-Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners Recognition Scheme was held to commend 165 enterprises that have actively pursued cleaner production. Of these, 34 Hong Kong-owned manufacturing enterprises were commended as "Excellent Partners" while 112 were commended as "Partners". Other commended enterprises included three sourcing enterprises and 16 environmental technology service providers.

The EPD of the HKSAR Government, in collaboration with the GDDIIT, launched the Cleaner Production Partnership Programme in 2008 to promote the adoption of cleaner production technologies and practices by Hong Kong-owned factories in Hong Kong and Guangdong Province with a view to achieving emission reductions and enhancing energy saving. To date, the Programme has provided funding support for more than 4 300 projects. A new round of the Programme was launched in May this year to continue to encourage Hong Kong-owned factories to adopt new cleaner production technologies, transform and upgrade traditional industries with the adoption of green technologies, and dovetail with the country's efforts in promoting high-quality development. To commend the dedicated efforts and achievements of Hong Kong-owned factories in pursing cleaner production, Guangdong and Hong Kong jointly launched the Recognition Scheme in 2009 to award enterprises adopting cleaner production as Hong Kong-Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners.

For details of the Programme and the Recognition Scheme, please visit www.cleanerproduction.hk.

Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Cleaner Production meeting explores ways to strengthen co-operation Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Cleaner Production meeting explores ways to strengthen co-operation Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases