Hong Kong Customs raids two suspected illicit tobacco product storage centres in Lau Fau Shan
Hong Kong Customs yesterday (January 13) raided two suspected illicit tobacco product centres in Lau Fau Shan and seized about 4 800 kilograms of suspected duty-not-paid manufactured tobacco with an estimated market value of about $32.3 million and a duty potential of about $20 million. One person was arrested.
During an anti-illicit cigarette operation conducted in Lau Fau Shan last night, Customs officers intercepted a man who was moving suspected duty-not-paid manufactured tobacco to a goods vehicle at a logistics warehouse on Deep Bay Road. Upon inspection, about 1 400kg of suspected duty-not-paid manufactured tobacco were seized from the warehouse and the goods vehicle. A 51-year-old man who claimed to be a driver was arrested.
Customs officers later proceeded to a metal hut in Lau Fau Shan for a follow-up investigation, and further seized about 3 400kg of suspected duty-not-paid manufactured tobacco therein.
The case is still under investigation. The arrested man has been released on bail pending further investigation. Customs will continue to trace the source of the tobacco. The likelihood of further arrests is not ruled out.
Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO), tobacco products 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.
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 two suspected illicit tobacco product storage centres in Lau Fau Shan Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Analytical Accounts of Exchange Fund
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) released today (January 14) the key analytical accounts of the Exchange Fund at the end of December 2025.
Foreign assets, representing the external assets of the Exchange Fund, decreased during the month by HK$12.5 billion to HK$3,525.5 billion.
The Monetary Base, comprising Certificates of Indebtedness, Government-issued currency notes and coins in circulation, the balance of the banking system and Exchange Fund Bills and Notes issued, amounted to HK$2,040.0 billion.
Claims on the private sector in Hong Kong amounted to HK$388.1billion.
Foreign liabilities amounted to HK$52.3 billion.
The analytical accounts of the Exchange Fund are released in accordance with the International Monetary Fund’s Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) and are referred to as the Analytical Accounts of the Central Bank under SDDS (Annex).
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At present, four press releases relating to the Exchange Fund’s data are issued by the HKMA each month. Three of these releases are issued to disseminate monetary data in accordance with the International Monetary Fund’s SDDS. The fourth press release, on the Exchange Fund’s Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account, is made in accordance with the HKMA’s policy of maintaining a high level of transparency. For the month of January 2026, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows:
January 7
(Issued) |
SDDS International Reserves
(Hong Kong’s Latest Foreign Currency Reserve Assets Figures) |
January 14 |
SDDS Analytical Accounts of the Central Bank
(Analytical Accounts of the Exchange Fund) |
January 30 |
SDDS Template on International Reserves and
Foreign Currency Liquidity |
January 30 |
Exchange Fund Abridged Balance Sheet and
Currency Board Account |
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