Three Passengers Sentenced for Importing Duty-Not-Paid Cigarettes at Hong Kong Airport

2026-04-23 21:45 Last Updated At：21:58

Three incoming passengers convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes

Three incoming passengers were sentenced to three to ten months' imprisonment and fined $1,000 each by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (April 23) for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).

The first case invloved a 40-year-old incoming male passenger. During customs clearance, Customs officers seized 145 000 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $652,500 and a duty potential of about $479,300, from his personal baggage at Hong Kong International Airport on April 14. The passenger was subsequently arrested. He was sentenced to ten months' imprisonment and fined $1,000 today.

The second case involved a 20-year-old incoming male passenger. During customs clearance, Customs officers seized 64 400 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $322,000 and a duty potential of about $212,900, from his personal baggage at Hong Kong International Airport on April 21. The passenger was subsequently arrested. He was sentenced to six months' imprisonment and fined $1,000 today.

The third case involved a 29-year-old incoming male passenger. During customs clearance, Customs officers seized 12 588 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $56,600 and a duty potential of about $41,600, from his personal baggage at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (April 22). The passenger was subsequently arrested. He was sentenced to three months' imprisonment and fined $1,000 today.

Customs welcomes the sentences. The custodial sentences have imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflect the seriousness of the offences.

Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, cigarettes 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).

Explore East and West Garden Art at Hong Kong Museum of Art Exhibition Starting April 24

HKMoA's large-scale exhibition "Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West" unveils today

The "Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West" exhibition will be staged at the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) starting from tomorrow (April 24). The exhibition features over 100 sets of selected paintings and artefacts from the Palace Museum in Beijing, the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) in the United States, the Palace of Versailles in France and the HKMoA, presented together for the first time in Hong Kong, including paintings, prints, lacquerware, sculpture, ceramics and glassware, inviting visitors to explore the wonders and fun of gardens in the East and West from a fresh perspective.

Addressing the opening ceremony held today (April 23), the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, said that this touring exhibition, which began at the Palace Museum in 2025 and arrived in Hong Kong today, connects the regional culture of the East and West through historical gardens. The HKMoA, as the grand finale, will exclusively feature a selection of art treasures. The exhibition not only fully showcases the distinctive features of gardens from East and West and the rich cultural heritage from different regions, but also highlights Hong Kong's vital role as a window for mutual exchange and learning between Chinese and Western civilisations. She added that the country advocates "shaping tourism with cultural activities and promoting culture through tourism". Culture and tourism have always been highly complementary to each other. With Labour Day Golden Week approaching, she believes the exhibition will attract local art lovers and tourists, as well as boost consumption in the surrounding area.

Other officiating guests included Deputy Director of the Palace Museum Mr Wang Yuegong; the Deputy Chairman of the Institute of Philanthropy and Trustee of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, Mrs Ann Kung; the Pritzker Chair of Arts of Asia and the Executive Director of Initiatives in Asia of the AIC, Dr Wang Tao; the Chairman of the Art Sub-committee of the Museum Advisory Committee, Professor Desmond Hui; the Acting Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Miss Eve Tam; and the Museum Director of the HKMoA, Dr Maria Mok.

This exhibition serves as a guide to garden aesthetics. Curated around a central theme of garden landscaping and ingeniously using set designs by the curatorial team, the exhibition takes the audience on a journey through the threefold experience of garden landscaping, activities in the garden and the appreciation of artworks inspired by garden culture, allowing them to appreciate the grand gardens of kings and nobles, including Emperor Qianlong of theQing dynasty and King Louis XIV of France.

Highlight exhibits include the "Spring Ablution at the Orchid Pavilion" by Wen Zhengming, one of the "Four Masters of Wu School" from the Ming dynasty, which recreates the gathering at the Orchid Pavilion, a scene long celebrated through the calligraphy of Wang Xizhi of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, from the collection ofthe Palace Museum; the grandeur of imperial gardens in the Qing dynasty is reflected in the "Imperial Summer Resort", which integrates traditional blue-and-green painting features with Western perspective techniques; the "Nanxi Thatched Hall" by Ming dynasty painter Wen Boren, which depicts the ideal garden retreat of Jiangnan literati where the cottage blends seamlessly with nature;Monet's "Water Lilies" and "Water Lily Pond" from the AIC; and Zhang Daqian's "Entrance of Bade Garden" and "Splashed-colour Landscape" from the HKMoA's collection, highlighting the visions of two masters and offering visitors inspiration for garden design. Other highlight exhibits include "The Enceladus Fountain" and "The Water Theatre" from the Palace of Versailles.

Notable garden owners such as Emperor Qianlong, King Louis XIV of France, Claude Monet and Zhang Daqian "share" the stories behind the creation of their iconic gardens through audio guides and interactive kiosks. The exhibition features a scenographic recreation of the Orchid Pavilion Gathering in the education corner, enhanced with technology to provide visitors with an immersive experience. Through interactive engagement with a virtual wine cup, visitors can enjoy the beauty of blooming flowers. Furthermore, a DIY kit is included with the limited-edition exhibition pamphlet. Visitors can also download the instructions and additional paper patterns using the QR code on the pamphlet and design their ideal garden with their favourite elements, enriching the experience beyond their visit.

The exhibition will run from April 24 to July 29 at the Special Gallery on the second floor of the HKMoA (10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon). Admission is free. The exhibition is co-presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Palace Museum in partnership with the AIC, and is co-organised by the HKMoA and the Palace Museum in partnership with the AIC. It is exclusively sponsored by the Institute of Philanthropy.

To ensure a better visiting experience, crowd control measures for the exhibition will be implemented with flexibility. In the event of overcrowding, timed admission ticketing may be arranged. Visitors are advised to follow on-site notices and to stay updated through HKMoA's official website, Instagram, Facebookor VisitHKMuseums on Xiaohongshu.

The HKMoA will organise a series of special programmes, including guided tours, talks and workshops. The first talk from the "Zoom-in World Treasures" Talk Series will be held on April 25 at 2.30pm at The Hall at the HKMoA. The speaker, Senior Engineer of the Heritage Architecture Department of the Palace Museum, Ms Li Yue, will share her insights on Qianlong Garden: Art, Legacy and Conservation.

For details of the exhibition and activities, please visithk.art.museum/en/web/ma/exhibitions-and-events/blooming-the-art-of-gardens-in-east-and-west.html.

Three Passengers Sentenced for Importing Duty-Not-Paid Cigarettes at Hong Kong Airport

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Three Passengers Sentenced for Importing Duty-Not-Paid Cigarettes at Hong Kong Airport

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