Passenger Sentenced to 80 Days of Imprisonment and Fined $1,000 for Smuggling Duty-Not-Paid Cigars at Airport

Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for possession of duty-not-paid cigars

An incoming passenger was sentenced to 80 days of imprisonment and fined $1,000 by the Shatin Magistrates' Courts today (May 25) for possessing duty-not-paid cigars and failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).

Customs officers intercepted an incoming male passenger, aged 41, at the Hong Kong International Airport on May 22 and seized about 8.7 kilograms of duty-not-paid cigars, with an estimated market value of about $331,000 and a duty potential of about $37,000, from his personal baggage. The passenger was subsequently arrested.

Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences.

Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, cigars are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys duty-not-paid cigars 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).

An incoming passenger was sentenced to 80 days of imprisonment and fined $1,000 by the Shatin Magistrates' Courts today (May 25) for possessing duty-not-paid cigars and failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance. Photo shows the duty-not-paid cigars seized. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SCST expresses condolences over passing of Nansun Shi

The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, expressed sorrow over the passing of veteran Hong Kong filmmaker Nansun Shi and extended her deepest condolences to her family.

As a distinguished Hong Kong film producer, Ms Shi was appointed as a member of the Hong Kong Film Development Council from 2007 to 2015, having made significant contribution to the long-term development of Hong Kong's film industry. She produced and distributed numerous films, including the much-loved "A Chinese Ghost Story" series, "Once Upon a Time in China" series, "Black Mask", "The Legend of Zu", and "Infernal Affairs". Over the years, she had been invited to serve on the jury as a member or the president at various major international film festivals, and received multiple local and international accolades in recognition of her global vision and outstanding marketing skills. Her efforts were instrumental in promoting Hong Kong films to the international stage.

Ms Shi was appointed as a member of the Hong Kong Tourism Board by the Government from 2013 to 2019. Leveraging her extensive connections in the international film community and professional experience in planning, she provided valuable advice on promoting Hong Kong tourism.

Miss Law said, "Ms Shi dedicated her life to the film and TV industry, leaving behind precious cinematic memories for Hong Kong people. We will always remember her extraordinary contributions to Hong Kong's film and TV industry."

Source: AI-found images