Five Passengers Sentenced for Importing Duty-Not-Paid Cigarettes and Smoking Products in Hong Kong.

2026-06-15 21:45 Last Updated At：21:58

Five incoming passengers convicted and jailed for possessing/importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and alternative smoking products

Five incoming passengers were sentenced to six weeks' to four months' imprisonment and fined $1,000 respectively by the Magistrates' Courts today (June 15) for possessing or importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare to Customs Officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO), as well as for importing alternative smoking products (ASPs), in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO) and the Import and Export Ordinance (IEO).

Click to Gallery

Five incoming passengers convicted and jailed for possessing/importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and alternative smoking products Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

More Images

Five incoming passengers convicted and jailed for possessing/importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and alternative smoking products Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Customs officers intercepted an incoming 46-year-old Chinese female passenger at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point on June 13 and seized 2 600 duty-not-paid cigarettes from her personal baggage, with an estimated market value of about $10,600 and a duty potential of about $8,500. She was subsequently arrested. She was sentenced to six weeks' imprisonment with a fine of $1,000 by the Fanling Magistrates' Courts today (June 15).

Customs officers intercepted an incoming 29-year-old Chinese male passenger at Hong Kong International Airport on June 13, and seized 190 duty-not-paid cigarettes and 28 000 alternative smoking products, with an estimated market value of about $84,700 and a duty potential of about $600 from his personal baggage. The passenger was subsequently arrested. He was sentenced to four months' of imprisonment and fined $1,000 by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today.

Additionally, Customs officers intercepted three incoming Chinese male passenger, aged 31, 37 and 40 respectively at the airport yesterday (June 14). Customs officers seized 16 800 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with a market value of about $84,000 and a duty potential of about $55,000, and 16 800 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with a market value of about $84,000 and a duty potential of about $55,000, as well as 17400 duty-not-paid cigarettes and 27 ASPs, with a market value of about $87,000 and a duty potential of about $57,000, from their personal baggage respectively. The three passengers were subsequently arrested. They were each sentenced to three months' imprisonment and fined $1,000 by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts 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.

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).

Legislative Council Visits Patriotic Education Sites to Enhance Understanding and Promote Community Engagement

LegCo Panel on Constitutional Affairs visits patriotic education facilities

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

The Legislative Council Panel on Constitutional Affairs visited several patriotic education facilities today (June 15) to gain a deeper understanding of the implementation of patriotic education.

Accompanied by the Under Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Clement Woo, Members first visited the Hong Kong Sha Tau Kok Anti-War Memorial Hall (the Law’s House), which is Hong Kong's first memorial hall to commemorate the War of Resistance. Members toured the exhibition to learn about the history of the War of Resistance and the anti-Japanese deeds of the Luo family, and understood community group's efforts in promoting patriotic education through revitalising historic sites of the War of Resistance.

During the visit, Members and representatives of the Administration discussed how to assist the community group that operates the memorial hall in further enriching their exhibits and enhancing other supporting facilities to attract more tourists and students to visit.

Members then visited the Cenotaph for Martyrs at Wu Kau Tang to understand how heroes and historic sites of the War of Resistance are remembered and preserved. Members suggested that the Administration make good use of the various heritage resources related to the War of Resistance in Sha Tau Kok and the nearby Wu Kau Tang area to organise educational visits and guided tours to better promote patriotic education.

Members also visited the Patriotic Education Centre at Sha Tin, where they toured the thematic exhibition on aerospace science to learn about the implementation of patriotic education by offering experiential and interactive learning services to students. Members also exchanged views with representatives of the Government on promoting patriotic education through commemorating the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March.

A total of 16 members and non-members of the Panel on Constitutional Affairs participated in the visit.

Five Passengers Sentenced for Importing Duty-Not-Paid Cigarettes and Smoking Products in Hong Kong.

HK