Two incoming passengers convicted and jailed for possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes
Two incoming passengers were sentenced to nine weeks imprisonment and six weeks imprisonment and fined $2,000 respectively by the Fanling Magistrates' Courts today (March 5) for possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).
Customs officers intercepted a 60-year-old incoming female passenger at Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point (HYWBCP) on January 22 and seized 437 duty-not-paid cigarettes with an estimated market value of $1,966 and a duty potential of $1,444 from her personal baggage. She was subsequently arrested. She was sentenced to nine weeks' imprisonment and fined $2,000 by the courts today.
In addition, Customs officers intercepted a 63-year-old incoming male passenger at the HYWBCP on January 23 and seized 181 duty-not-paid cigarettes with an estimated market value of $814 and a duty potential of about $598 from his personal baggage. He was subsequently arrested. He was sentenced to six weeks' imprisonment and fined $2,000 by the courts today.
Customs welcomes the sentences. The custodial sentences have imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences.
Under the 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/en).
Two incoming passengers convicted and jailed for possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Two incoming passengers convicted and jailed for possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Commission on Children convenes 27th meeting
The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (March 5) chaired the 27th meeting of the Commission on Children.
At the meeting, members were briefed by the Department of Health (DH) on the physical and mental impacts on children from the use of electronic screen products. In light of the advancement in information and communication technology, children's use of the Internet and electronic screen devices has become increasingly pervasive. The Government set up an interdepartmental expert advisory group in October last year to review the health effects of electronic screens and social media on children and provide related health recommendations, with a view to encouraging children to establish regular and healthy lifestyles and avoid excessive use of electronic screen products.
The Education Bureau (EDB), the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) and the DH also provided members with an overview of the Government's implementation of sex education and associated support measures. The EDB, using values education as a core framework, has connected sex education with other cross-curricular domains through different subjects and life-wide learning activities, etc, aiming to cultivate students' proper values and attitudes holistically. The DH provides students with sex education information through multiple channels, including outreach health seminars, educational counselling, websites and social media platforms. The HKPF promotes sex education and crime prevention information through outreach talks, online/offline promotional materials, etc, to help children develop proper values and positive attitudes towards life and practise appropriate behaviour while building healthy interpersonal relationships. Relevant government departments will continue to collaborate with parents and all sectors of society to implement sex education and values education, enabling children to grow up healthily.
Members welcomed the various measures implemented by the Government in promoting the healthy use of electronic screen products among children and sex education for children and exchanged views on how to further advance the relevant work.
Source: AI-found images
